BY GARIKAI MAFIRAKUREVA
DRUG abuse by Chiredzi youths has reached alarming levels after Michael Nyikadzino (29) burnt down a house in an attempt to commit suicide while suspected to be high on drugs.
Nyikadzino, of Gudo Street in Tshovani, later on jumped from a moving car in another attempt to commit suicide as he was being taken to Chiredzi General Hospital, where he is now receiving treatment.
Ward 4 councillor Liberty Macharaga discovered the fire when he was passing by and alerted neighbours.
“We were passing by and I discovered that there was fire in the house. As we tried to stop the fire, we later discovered that there was someone in the room, but when we tried to help him out, he refused,” he said.
The fire was eventually put out by the Hippo Valley Estates fire brigade, but no property was recovered.
Recently, police carried out raids in different cities around the country to bust drug havens that deal in marijuana and prohibited cough syrups such as Bron Cleer (bronco), and cocaine and crystal methamphetamine.
United Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association advocacy officer Constance Chikumbo urged the police to deal with drug dealers ruthlessly, adding that a generation was being lost due to drugs.
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“As a residents’ association, we feel the community is slowly bearing the brunt of drug abuse as criminal cases are now on the spike,” Chikumbo said.
Masvingo police provincial spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa said he was not aware of the drug problem in Chiredzi.
“At the moment, I don’t know the drug situation obtaining on the ground, but let me assure you that police will deal with that once and for all,” Dhewa said.
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