Editorial Comment: WEED OUT BAD APPLES

MEN and women of integrity are never shy to reprimand, or whip each other into line, when trouble comes.

They might wine, dine and mourn together as groups but they still find time to mould each other.

Such cliques grow stronger, especially when members are sharing one vision and the same goals.

These kinds of groups are usually found in upmarket pubs, gyms or even in churches.

In other communities, such groups are usually found in bars, social soccer matches and funerals.

However, there will be problems when some rogue group members are caught offside. Among such bad apples are fraudsters, perverts, wife bashers and even child abusers.

Some of the group members might be financially strong but still lack the right manners and acceptable behaviour. Others might be a nuisance when drunk, which has the potential to damage the membership’s image.

Weeding out such bad apples is the only solution for sanity to prevail.

Yesterday, we carried a follow-up story of disgraced Harare dealer, Munya Chauraya, who is still the talk of the city.

Munya has been ordered not to attend his fitness club in the capital after some furious members walked out on him, in protest, upon his return last Friday.

The members, who had become part of his inner circle, want him to rejoin them once he is cleared of bashing his girlfriend and allegedly abusing her two-year-old daughter.

He is said to be the person in the video, which shocked the country, where the child touches his manhood.

Although the dealer is denying the allegations, his clique, including fitness coaches, no longer want to be associated with him. His club members feel he has tainted their image through the shocking revelations.

For him, it’s never too late to clear his name, and possibly rejoin the group.

His club members have led by example by showing the world that they don’t tolerate nonsense.

This is what is needed in most groups, some questionable characters need to be exposed and flushed out.

Once society conceals such things, we are not only doing harm to ourselves but setting a wrong precedent.

By exposing such wicked people, we are only helping to make our communities better places to live.

Hypocrisy and fear of the unknown continue to hold us back.

In cases where some group members deserve arrest or prosecution, justice should be allowed to prevail.

Concealing evil deeds will always come back to haunt us.

As the media, we will continue to expose such horrible acts and make our country a better place.

 Failure to address these, and other related matters, means we are not doing what is right as a people.

The group members at the fitness club stood by their principle.

After all, the woman who was bashed was also a member of their fitness club.

She was one of them and an injury to one should be an injury to all.

They showed Munya that there are some things in life which are more important than money and image is one of them.