admin
Blessing Karubwa, Chronicle Reporter
A former Bulawayo drug addict, who was chained by his parents for threatening to kill them for not giving him money to buy drugs, has said being hospitalised at Ingutsheni Central Hospital saved his life, as he is now changed, ready to pick up the pieces of his life.
For the past seven years, Bekithemba Mhlanga (27) of Luveve suburb had been hooked on heroin, among other drugs and last year escaped from Ingutsheni, leaving his parents with no option but to keep him chained.
He also used to assault his parents and started refusing to sleep in his bedroom, saying it needed to be cleansed.
A Chronicle edition of March 2 this year revealed that Mr Aron Mhlanga and Mrs Sithembeni Mhlanga were asking for help after enduring verbal and physical abuse at the hands of their drug-addict son who had vowed to kill them if they didn’t give him US$3 for drugs daily. The couple even turned to traditional healers to get help for their son to no avail.
In an interview, Mrs Mhlanga said shortly after Chronicle published the story, they received a call from Ingutsheni asking them to bring their son for treatment.
“Thanks to the first article that you published. I have just forgotten the exact day but it was around in the morning when we were phoned by the sister-in-charge from Ingutsheni and requested that we bring back our son to Ingutsheni. We quickly took him to the hospital and he stayed for about a week. He has returned home and is now back to normal. He is no longer into drugs. He no longer assaults us and he no longer steals anything from us,” she said.
“We are still in shock of how much he has changed, but I appreciate his efforts to give up drugs. He is even seen drinking tea while claiming that, despite his hunger for drugs, he no longer desires them. In spite of our expectations, he is not acting badly. We have been keeping the chain in case he resumes his abusive conduct, in which case we will call for help and chain him once more, ngingaqamba amanga sibili, ambone lutho olubi kuye khathesi.”
She said the only challenge that they have now is that their son is on medication that costs nearly US$20 per month which is difficult to raise sometimes.
Mrs Mhlanga underscored the value of counselling in recovery.
She said since Bekithemba returned from Ingutsheni, he has reverted to his vision-oriented self.
She said he is in the hairdressing business and uses the money he would have received from clients to help her purchase food and other household necessities.
“He is no longer abusive, in fact. He stopped stealing our belongings and selling them to get money to buy drugs, koSaNe. As I speak, he had accompanied me to the nearby borehole to fetch water, and now he has returned to carry the other two buckets by himself, something he previously refused to do,” she said.
In December, Chronicle exposed drug havens in the city and named KoSaNe in Gwabalanda suburb as one of the go-to places for drug addicts.
Bekithemba used to threaten his parents demanding money to go and buy drugs there, something he is no longer doing after returning from hospital.
Mrs Mhlanga said he is now a responsible man.
“He received US$15 while doing the hair of another woman in Emganwini. He has so far done haircuts on three different persons in this area and others, and he shared with me US$5 from two of his customers and he told me to purchase relish. We intend to enrol him at a driving school since I am confident that he is familiar with driving, so it won’t take him long, and he will soon start working and be occupied with something,” she said.
Bekithemba used to eat food without her permission, forcing her to close her vending operation.
Following his transformation, she is now prepared to reopen her business.
“I am currently looking for funding to restart my vending business so that I may support my family like every other woman in this community. Yes, I am prepared to restart my business. Imvu ngokwayo, Themba is now a sheep. He’s not even hitting her younger sister anymore right now. But we’re still keeping an eye on him and we hope you’ll help us by keeping an eye on us in the event that he starts acting violently again,” she said.
Mr Mhlanga said he is relieved that his son has quit drugs. He chided youths for abusing drugs saying they were ruining their lives.
Bekithemba told Chronicle that he understands the importance of abiding to the doctor’s prescriptions saying it is the only way that can detach drug addicts from drugs.
He attributed his new found drug free life to efforts at Ingutsheni.
He encouraged people living with drug addicts to surrender them at Ingutsheni as long as those addicts agree that they are taking drugs.
Bekithemba declined to have his picture published saying it could jeopardise his job as a hairdresser.
“Drug addicts trying to quit their addiction should strictly follow the instructions of taking their medicines because some of those pills have some side effects. You feel much pain if you fail to do that, uyakhala inyembezi. I know it’s very hard to quit drugs when you start them at a tender age. I have surely felt it,” said Bekithemba.
He appealed for financial assistance from the members of the public saying he wants to go for driving lessons.
“I want to do Class Two driving but I am having some financial problems. Anyone who wants to help is welcome. Even those who want to help me by giving me some piece jobs, I am comfortable with that. All
I want to do now is to be focused and assist my parents in providing food and other necessities and obviously shaping up my life,” he said.
Ingutsheni CEO Dr Nemache Mawere said: “The work is still on progress. We still have to monitor him.
He can recover. Yes, Ingutsheni provides care, recovery is possible if people are really committed to change. However, change is a process it’s not like an event.”
Meanwhile, Bekithemba said those who may want to help him realise his driving dream or buy medication can contact his father on 0776774003. — @KarubwaTicha
Online Reporter