Ellen Mlambo
TWO NATIONS REPORTER
BEITBRIDGE – Parents opened up during a drug and substance abuse march organised by the Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) in Beitbridge two weeks ago.
They expressed agony at how their children have become addicts, criminals, murderers, destitute and mentally challenged due to abuse of drugs. The problem is not limited to the youth but to adults as well and the call for a rehabilitation centre was made repeatedly.
The march which was held on May 18, 2022 started from Dulibadzimu bus terminus and ended at Shule Shule shops. Participating in the march were staff from the District Development Co-ordinator’s office, Ministry of Health, CID Drugs and Narcotics, Ministry of Youth, Social Services department and the Municipality of Beitbridge among others.
An SDA spokesperson and Pastor Bethuli Ndlovu said the purpose of the march was to deal with the prevalence of drug and substance abuse in Beitbridge.
Agnes Gambanga, a parent from Shule Shule high density suburb could not hide her pain. She opened up on her first child Tawanda Murwira (26) who has left home and is now staying at a house in Silvergate where drugs are sold.
Tawanda was in the habit of selling family property to buy drugs. He eventually lost his job with a security company and her mother urged the Police to get tough with drug dealers.
“I am in deep pain, my son is now a drug addict, has lost his job and no longer stays at home. We have been looking for him for the past two months without success. May Police please deal ruthlessly with those selling drugs,” she pleaded.
Detective Assistant Inspector Manuel Mbaraja of CID Drugs and Narcotics recently told an Inter-Ministerial Committee on drugs and substance abuse- supply reduction pillar that the drug abuse situation in the border town is already dire and complicated to deal with. More than 114 mental cases were reported in the first four months of this year in Beitbridge District. There have also been a number of deaths caused by drug abuse.
The town is also battling problems like domestic violence, child abuse and sexual offenses.
What makes the drug abuse ‘war’ more complicated in Beitbridge is that cutting the supply is no longer the critical factor as drug addicts now resort to substance abuse like boiling diapers and drinking the water to intoxicate themselves.
Able Makovora from Shule Shule said his young brother had also fallen victim to drug abuse. He said it was sad that a few people were making profit from drugs at the expense of the well-being of thousands of families.
Pastor Ndlovu said his church was extremely concerned with the prevalence of drug and substance abuse and urged residents to refrain. The church offers counselling and spiritual support, he said.
Detective Assistant Inspector Mbaraja said Police’s role is to raid perpetrators and effect arrests. He said that the supplier and abuser of drugs are treated the same.
“The abuser and supplier of drugs are treated the same as those who buy drugs are creating demand of such. Families are losing furniture and valuables to get money to buy drugs. We want those with information of drug dealers to supply us and we assure them that we don’t disclose their names,” said Mbaraja.
An entrepreneur and youth activist against drug abuse Kudakwashe Garaipasi said more action is required to deal with the problem as it was getting out of hand by the day.
The smuggling of drugs like broncleer and dagga into the country through the country’s borders is no longer the only key problem. At one quarantine center in the town, deportees from South Africa with mental problems left the place with no lights after they vandalized bulbs for substances and also went on to dismantle air conditioners.https://masvingomirror.com/