I WAS saddened to the core when news broke of an eight-year-old child’s admission to the Victoria Falls Drug Rehabilitation Centre at Chinotimba Clinic, a heartbreaking development that exposes the raw wounds in our nation’s soul.
This devastating revelation not only shatters all previous conceptions of how young drug abuse victims can be in Zimbabwe, but stands as a haunting testament to society’s catastrophic failure to shield our most innocent members of society from this destructive menace.
That a child, barely old enough to comprehend the complexities of life, now battles addiction in a rehabilitation centre should shake every parent, leader and citizen to their very foundation, compelling us to acknowledge that we have crossed a threshold from which there can be no return without immediate, decisive action.
Victoria Falls town clerk Ronnie Dube’s confirmation of this distressing case reveals the horrifying new frontier in Zimbabwe’s battle against substance abuse.
“We have four inmates that we are attending to, the youngest being eight years old,” he disclosed, words that should reverberate through every household, school and institution across the nation.
The presence of such a young child in rehabilitation signals not merely an individual tragedy, but the collapse of multiple societal safety nets designed to protect our children.
Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution minister Charles Tawengwa, speaking during a recent campaign at Kuwadzana 6 shopping centre, emphasised that drug abuse “threatens the very foundation of our families, the health of our communities, and the future of our nation”.
His words at Kuwadzana 6 shopping centre, “This is not just a government programme; it is a people’s movement”, underscore the urgent need for comprehensive societal mobilisation against this scourge.
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The words also echo the sentiments of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who during the Munhumutapa Day commemorations, stressed that “we cannot run a nation under the influence of drugs”.
His emphasis on youth leadership in nation-building stands in stark contrast to the current crisis, where children barely old enough to understand citizenship find themselves trapped in rehabilitation programmes.
The medical community, represented by Ingutsheni Central Hospital psychiatrist registrar Loveness Ndebele, provides particularly troubling insight into this crisis.
“We have been seeing children as young as seven years old being brought by their parents after abusing drugs,” she reveals, adding that such cases often represented “a cry for
help”.
This medical perspective illuminates the complex interplay between addiction, social dysfunction and psychological distress affecting even primary school-age children.
The government’s multi-sectoral approach, while theoretically sound, has been undermined by systemic weaknesses in implementation.
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s leadership in spearheading the national campaign against drug abuse deserves recognition, but her efforts must be matched by concrete action at every level of society.
Community leaders, educators, healthcare providers and law enforcement agents must work in concert, supported by adequate resources and clear policy directives.
What Zimbabwe needs is a comprehensive, well-funded strategy that addresses both prevention and treatment.
This should include mandatory drug education programmes in primary schools, enhanced parent education initiatives and strong community support systems.
Law enforcement efforts must be bolstered to dismantle drug trafficking networks, while social services require significant strengthening to identify and assist at-risk youth before they fall prey to substance abuse.
Civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations, focused on awareness campaigns and donor-driven initiatives, must transcend these limited approaches to address root causes.
The prevention of drug abuse among children demands more than occasional workshops or public speeches; it requires sustained intervention in communities, families and educational institutions.
This includes establishing community-based support groups, creating safe recreational spaces for youth and developing sustainable employment programmes to address the socioeconomic factors that often drive substance abuse.
The situation demands more than just governmental response.
Private sector involvement through corporate social responsibility initiatives can help to fund rehabilitation facilities and youth development programmes.
Media organisations must commit to responsible reporting while also providing platforms for public education about drug abuse.
The case of the eight-year-old patient also exposes critical gaps in our child protection framework.
As Ndebele emphasises: “We need a multi-disciplinary approach where we involve social workers and child psychologists so that he gets help.”
This professional insight highlights the complexity of addressing substance abuse among minors, requiring coordination among medical professionals, social services, education authorities and law enforcement agents.
Mnangagwa’s assertion that “true patriotism means putting our country first, protecting our culture and defending its sovereignty” must now extend to defending our youth from the insidious threat of drug abuse.
The various youth empowerment programmes initiated by the second republic, including the Munhumutapa Housing Scheme and Presidential Youth Empowerment Fund, must be augmented with specific measures targeting substance abuse prevention and rehabilitation.
The presence of an eight-year-old in rehabilitation represents more than a statistical anomaly; it signals the urgent need for a fundamental reimagining of our approach to drug abuse prevention and treatment.
This crisis demands not just increased funding or enhanced programmes, but a complete transformation in how we protect our children, support our families and build our communities.
As Mnangagwa noted, “You must choose discipline in life and not destruction.”
This choice, however, cannot be left to children alone.
It requires the unified effort of a nation determined to reclaim its future from the scourge of drug abuse.
Zimbabwe must now demonstrate its commitment to protecting its youth through decisive action, substantial resource allocation and unwavering dedication to eradicating drug abuse at every level of society.
The alternative, watching helplessly as another generation succumbs to this crisis, is simply unthinkable.
