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By Daniel Kachere
News Editor
Masawara Holdings Group Chief Executive Officer, Shingai Mutasa has called on the government to speedily promulgate punitive laws against perpetrators of drug and sexual abuse who wilfully continue to shatter the life of youths country-wide.
His averments come against the backdrop of the current national blitzkrieg by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) targeting drug dealers.
So far, thousands have been arrested, while some of the suspects, such as Mbare’s alleged drug kingpin Tinashe Chanachimwe aka Dama, have already been released on bail.
Mutasa said this during a fundraising event held in Harare on Saturday night organised to raise funds for Teen Rescue Mission (TRM), an organisation centred around fighting drugs, crime and teen pregnancies among youths, led by founder and director Abraham Matuka.
“Our children between the age of 16 and 19 are the worst on the continent of Africa for drug abuse. That is tragic. That has to change and can only change through drastic action. Supporting organisations like Teen Rescue is very critical. Let us find ways to create advocacy for change. Our country is naturally and incredibly disciplined,” he said.
Mutasa urged the country’s law enforcement agents to use their capacity against elements that have created the drug problem in the country for Zimbabwe to become a great country.
“I believe our law enforcement agents have the capacity to engage into an incredibly robust level to manage these elements that are spoling our lovely children by introducing them to drugs and crime. We have the capacity as a country to manage all this, but we have to advocate for it. It is us as a society who must begin to advocate and no one else,” Mutasa said.
The successful businessman had no kind words for drug dealers and sexual perverts whom he said should face penalties such as those imposed by Shariah Law after being touched by the turmoil revealed through testimony from some of the vulnerable persons being assisted by TRM.
“There must be advocacy so that if a man rapes a child, they get castrated. In countries such as China and Singapore, there is no tolerance for drugs. If you are caught selling drugs you get killed. It’s simple…If we don’t begin to advocate for that seriousness to deal with sexual abuse against our children, we will continue to see this happening.”
Mutasa said it took leadership, advocacy and life-changing circumstances such as employment and opportunities that give young people a purpose for them to move away from drugs and early sexual activities, before committing to introducing computer programmes for vulnerable youths in Chitungwiza.
“Every single person of us can change the trajectory of these young people,” he said.
He lauded Matuka, whom he said epitomises what leadership is about.
“He dreams, he thinks, he drives, delivers and it doesn’t matter whether he fails or not. He believes in what he wants to do. Having such leaders in our country gives me the energy to keep working. No country can succeed without exemplary leadership. We have to nurture that leadership in every sector of our society.”
Mutasa’s wife Karen, who is the TRM patron, urged corporates to come on board and support life-changing programmes for the vulnerable instead of channelling resources to other avenues where there is not much benefit for the country to progress.
“You should give your money to people who really need it. This drug issue is a pandemic on its own and it can be stopped by prioritising and supporting youth development,” she said.
Matuka said TRM’s vision was to see the opening of more education and counselling, recreation and entertainment as well as vocational training centres to keep youths off drugs and early sex throughout Zimbabwe.
So far, TRM has partnered with Young Africa to keep youths off drugs by keeping them occupied with vocational skills training and empowerment centres.
He said their organisation had embarked on a peer-to-peer programme for teens to be able to share their experiences at their own level, as trends show that telling adults is becoming difficult for them.
“We are targeting opening counselling facilities throughout Harare for teens to walk in. As TRM, we are now moving to the Peer-to-Peer programme because young people no longer feel comfortable sharing what is happening in their lives with adults.”
He said the drug scourge has reduced public safety and is contributing to increased crime rates, but the solution was to keep youths occupied.
“We have managed to take these young people for life skills training at Young Africa. Some of them are orphans while some come from child-headed families, forcing them to get into drugs and engage in early sexual activities. The rise in crime and drug abuse rates can be nipped in the bud through these programmes,” he said.
TRM board member, Soraya Fahad, expressed her gratitude towards Masawara Investment Group and Cresta Hotels, who were the platinum sponsors of the event, among others. Nhau/Indaba
