Online Reporter
Thokozile Mbedzi
IT was whistles, war cries, and one loud “NO TO DRUGS!” as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ) hit the streets of Tshabalala and Sizinda in a spirited roadshow to combat drug and substance abuse.
Dubbed “Stay Sober, Stay Strong”, the Saturday spectacle turned Ward 21 into a mobile rally of anti-drug activism, with churches, bakers, arts groups, residents’ associations, and the local council marching together like a holy army armed with placards, prayer, and purpose.
Ward 21 Councillor Tinevimbo Maposa said: “Drug and substance abuse has to come to an end. As your councillor, I’m saying this with a bold voice—dealers and suppliers, your time is up!”
He said the roadshow was not just a walk—but a wake-up call.
“We reached every hotspot, spoke to everyone—youths, elders, vendors, even kombi drivers. No one was spared the message!”
Peer educator Buhlebenkosi Bhebhe drove the message home with a youth-to-youth appeal: “Drugs kill dreams. They steal your health, your future, even your soul. To those pushing these poisons, beware, the long arm of the law is coming!”
Tshabalala Resident Association Chairperson Albert Ndlovu spoke emotionally:
“We’ve buried too many. This fight is no longer optional. We thank the church for bringing light where darkness has taken root.”
Reverend Magret Chirwa, preaching with passion, declared: “Drug abuse is a demon. And this community is exorcising it together!”
Rev Proud Dube of ELCZ Bulawayo East Parish, the driving force behind the movement, said this was the third phase of their drug fight.
“We hit the hotspots where drugs flow like water. We dropped awareness materials and most importantly, we dropped hope. This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of a cleaner, stronger Tshabalala.”
And as drums echoed, cheers erupted, and posters waved under the Bulawayo sun, the community marched to war.
And the drug lords better start running.
