JOURNALISTS Tinashe Farawo, Mabasa Sasa and Brian Chitemba walked into the Rotten Row Magistrates’ Court paraded, like common criminals, in handcuffs.
BY MOSES MATENGA
They arrived in the company of detectives, amid messages of solidarity from colleagues, across the media divide, who thronged the court to give moral support to the three, who had endured two nights in police cells.
They appeared in court for allegedly publishing falsehoods prejudicial to the State.
But as hordes of journalists and relatives anxiously waited for the trio to face magistrate Tendai Mahwe in Court 6, more than five drug abuse cases came up in less than 30 minutes, a development that left those present wondering why drug abuse was this prevalent.
It was clear, the problem of drug abuse among the youths is growing in Zimbabwe, as many of the youngsters were found in possession of dagga or Broncleer, a highly intoxicating cough mixture.
A 22-year-old man was the first to appear and was charged after being found in possession of “a stub of dagga”.
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As if to expose how the economy has shrunk to unprecedented levels, he, like all who followed after him, had no savings and survived on an income of $50 a month.
“I work in a bottle store and get only $50 a month. I only have $10 on me,” he said.
His friend, who said he was a 21-year-old tout, said he only had $2 in savings. Both of them were found guilty and ordered to pay a $5 fine or spend four days in prison.
Shortly afterwards, a 23-year-old man was sentenced to 120 hours of community service after he was found in possession of cartons of Broncleer, a cough syrup abused by youths mostly in high density suburbs. Mahwe said Broncleer was not allowed in the country and was being sneaked in for abuse mostly by the youths.
The magistrate then pardoned a 17-year-old boy also found with dagga.
“Why do you take dagga at your age? Do you know that it is dangerous to your health?” Mahwe asked.
In response, the teenager said he would never do it again, as it was wrong to indulge in such a habit.
“I was wrong, I was not supposed to do it,” he pleaded.
Mahwe cautioned and discharged him, probably due to his age.
Social commentator, Morris Mudzimu said the uptake of illicit drugs by the youths was an indicator of the harsh economic conditions and how many of them were struggling to survive.
“If you pass through traffic lights on a daily basis, you will agree with me that the struggle to survive for the youths needs stamina. Their argument is they get stamina after sniffing glue, smoking dagga or any other illicit stuff you can think of,” he said.
Zephania Msavaya of Manresa Park said the pricing of the legal highs was driving youths to go for illegal stuff, while also acknowledging that the economic conditions were driving them to being alcoholics, who specialise in illicit brews.
“Not only do the youths take the illicit stuff, adolescents and youths usually try all sorts of mischief, including alcohol consumption. If the legal brews are sold at an affordable price, the youths would go for that,” he said.
“Now that the legal stuff is unaffordable, the only available option is to experiment with illegal drugs. The trend is worsened by the harsh economic conditions. The poor tend to take drugs, get high and for a moment the agony of the failing economy disappears superficially, and illicit brews are a cheap option.”
Political parties, in particular the MDC-T that has been rocked by internal fights recently, blamed the abuse of alcohol by their youths for their violent behaviour.
“There is no violence in the MDC, but just the work of youths who abuse alcohol. You know when youths take one too many, they always behave in such a manner. As you know, they have nothing much to do, but drink the illegal stuff and drown their sorrows. They have no jobs, the government that promised them jobs is failing to do so and they now, some of them, resort to drinking,” Obert Gutu said.
He said authorities should work hard to ensure that the illicit stuff is banned and those supplying it face the law.
A survey by NewsDay show that touts in the city centre, abused the illicit brew, while others were mixing ARVs with other substances to get the much-needed high.
Others, as young as 10, were also said to be taking the substances, as they have to be high and energetic, as they try to make ends meet.
