Online Reporter
Stephen Mpofu, Perspective
AS children prepared to return to school at the beginning of the current term on Tuesday this week, Bulawayo provincial spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, called for heightened vigilance against drug peddlers attempting to sell marijuana and illicit alcohol — commonly known as njengu — to pupils travelling back to boarding schools.
Given the gravity of this issue, the message ought to have been, and should continue to be, echoed across the country in light of the devastating impact of drug and substance abuse, which threatens the well-being of our youth, future builders and developers of our beloved motherland, for which gallant sons and daughters sacrificed their lives to liberate us from colonial imperialism.
Today, drug and substance abuse is a pressing issue that risks undermining Zimbabwe’s proud reputation for high literacy across the African continent.
As Zimbabweans and others should recognise, literacy is a powerful tool for political, economic, and social development in any nation.
Therefore, if Zimbabwe’s youth increasingly fall prey to drugs and substances — a trend that has already sparked widespread concern — there will be no bold and promising future to anticipate for our beautiful country.
This suggests that the campaign against drug and substance abuse must be intensified, with parents, schools, and the church playing a central role in supporting the efforts of our incumbent Zanu-PF Government to ensure every child receives education and skills for national development, rather than turning to drugs when they drop out of school for various reasons and seek solace in substance abuse.
It is no exaggeration for this communicologist to assert that the scourge of drug and substance abuse among youth persists — despite loud proclamations from various quarters professing national patriotism — because there may be individuals within our society who run with the hares and hunt with the hounds.
It is therefore worthwhile for every segment of society to engage in introspection, to distinguish the hares from the hounds, as part of a cleansing process to rid our communities of dubious patriots who contribute to the disempowerment of youth, who must be the foundational bricks for the development of our motherland, in line with our Government’s mantra: “Ilizwe lakhiwa ngabaninilo/Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo/A country is developed by its owners.”
Substances being abused include codeine, Histalix, bronco, crystal meth, intoxicating chewing gum, dagga (mbanje), and cocaine.
As a layperson, this communicologist believes that if Parliament were to enact a stringent law akin to capital punishment against drug peddlers, it would serve as a strong deterrent to those engaged in these harmful activities.
Nonetheless, vigilant oversight by parents, guardians, and school authorities will undoubtedly discourage peddlers and help safeguard the well-being of young people — Zimbabwe’s future nation.
As everyone knows, any delay in eliminating drug and substance peddlers to protect the future of young Zimbabweans and our country will be a tragic WASTE OF TIME.
