Emmanuel Chitsika
Masvingo Urban councilors have expressed concern over the increased cases on mental illness among the city’s youthful generation which they claim currently constitute three quarters of Ngomahuru mental health institution patients.
Raising the issue during a full council meeting held on June 27 at the Civic Center, ward 4 councilor Alec Tabe said youth from wards 1,2 and 4 are amongst the major sufferers to drug and substance abuse and challenged council to put in place stronger mechanisms to curb the problem.
“The drug called Mutoriro has caused a lot of harm in society. I have been to Ngomahuru recently and noticed that three quarters of the inmates at the institution are suffering as a result of drug and substance abuse. The trend has not spared wards 1, 2 and 4 in Masvingo city.
“As a responsible authority, there is need for us to come up with strong mechanisms to curb the social ill. There is need for council to decisively deal with the sources of these drugs while at the same time we look into the issue of shebeens. There is need for council to engage other partners in dealing with the problem,” said Tabe.
His sentiments were echoed by ward 10 councilor Sengerayi Manyanga who said most occupants at Ngomahuru are from Masvingo urban and thus the need for the City Fathers to act.
“If we look at the composition of the inmates at the institution, one would discover that most mental patients are youth from Masvingo urban and thus we are called upon to act. Even if it means that council come up with rewards for residents who tip law enforcement agents on drug dealers or their hubs.
“At one of our clinics Runyararo West or Eastvale, we need to have a drug hub offering need services to affected people,” said Manyanga.
Councilor Roki Kamuzonda of ward 3 bemoaned lack of recreational facilities in most suburbs as the major driver behind the scourge.
“In our wards, there are no recreational facilities to help occupy the youth like ground and gym facilities. A few who would visit such facilities would do so in Mucheke where there are grounds but the rest of the suburbs do not have any.
“Council should avail such facilities for the youth to make use of,” said Kamuzonda.
Ward 7 councilor Richard Musekiwa also weighed in saying a lot of innocent souls have been lost to drugs as a result of idle minds due to unemployment in the country.
“As council, there is need for us to have a focal person when it comes to dealing with these cases. Though joint operations may be useful, council need to have an input towards such initiatives.
“We have lost a good number of these young people to drug-related illnesses. Some have resorted to committing suicide as a result of these substances. Junior council should also be made use of in such drug abuse curbing initiatives,” said Musekiwa.
The problems of drug and substance abuse has been topical among the youthful generation due to high levels of unemployment.
