The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
A DISTURBING video that surfaced on Christmas Day showing a group children drinking beer in Harare has attracted a lot of attention and left tongues wagging.
In the clip, the kids are seen drinking beer and seem to be having a great time, while adults nonchalantly go about their business.
Eleven children have since been identified by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
On Friday, police also detained Phaeteon Mutiyaya, 23, the owner of an illegal liquor store in Mbare, for providing alcohol to minors.
In a statement, police said: “The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Phaeteon Mutiyaya (23) for supplying liquor to the minors.
“The suspect operates a shebeen at Block 2C10, Nenyere Flats, Mbare, Harare.”
After the video went viral and sparked a public uproar, the police initiated an investigation that led to the identification of some of the offenders and Mutiyaya’s arrest.
Concerns over the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors were triggered by the startling footage.
The video also raises concern on how kids frequently manage to gain entry to bars and other establishments where alcohol is readily available.
Societal decay
The nonchalance of the adults who saw the children drinking touched off public debate about the traditional roles older people used to play.
An earlier statement released by national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi revealed that the minors had purchased the alcohol with the assistance of an adult.
In addition, the statement disclosed that certain children were from dysfunctional households and were involved in street vending and begging.
The video, according to public opinion, is a reflection of what is happening elsewhere across the country.
Sale of alcohol
In addition to causing an outcry, the video raised awareness on problems related to drug and substance abuse among minors and the youth.
“This video tells the sad story of how young people are abusing drugs. What was happening in that video also happens in other places throughout the country,” Victor Nyambo, who resides in Harare’s high-density suburb of Kuwadzana, said.
The video also raised issues regarding child welfare.
Investigations by The Sunday Mail Society revealed that, while the law prohibits the sale of alcohol to those under the legal age of majority, liquor stores are selling the beverages to anyone, regardless of age.
Liquor stores menace
Government recently expressed concern over the sprouting of liquor stores across the country and how this trend derails its fight against drug and substance abuse.
Officially, there are 11 000 licensed liquor stores countrywide.
However, according to a recent verification exercise conducted by local authorities, there are more than 18 000 liquor stores operating throughout the country.
Investigations also revealed that alcoholic beverages such as Detroit and Mayfair, which are mostly smuggled from South Africa, are popular with minors.
Child welfare and bad parenting
Veteran actress Jesesi Mungoshi attributed bad behaviour such as drinking alcohol by minors to poor parenting and broken family ties.
She said in the past, children were raised by “a whole village”, with extended families taking a major role in the process.
“Traditionally, it was the responsibility of the entire community to raise a child. Family ties have since been broken and youngsters can do whatever they want,” Mungoshi said.
She said it is now difficult to reprimand a neighbour’s child due to some of the laws meant to protect the young.
This, she added, has created room for these bad behaviours to develop.
“We need pressure groups across communities to push for the amendment of the Constitution to allow for communal parenting, as was the case back in the day,” she added.
According to Zvinowanda Pfumbidzai, a village head in Hwedza, juvenile delinquency is not limited to children living in urban areas.
The Machera village head said some parents are not as actively involved in raising their children as they once were.
“We see some adults turning a blind eye when they bump into minors who will be drinking beer. When we were growing up, a child belonged to the community,” he said.
Children’s rights advocate Ethel Nharira blames bad behaviour by minors on poor parenting skills.
She said poor parenting ranges from physical and emotional abuse, and emotional neglect of children.
She points out that this has an impact on a child’s development and increases their vulnerability to drug and substance abuse, as well as general mental health problems.
Most of the bad eggs in society, said Nharira, are products of bad parenting.
She urged the authorities to do more to protect children’s rights.
“It is worrying to note that the children in that video were assisted by an adult to get that beer. Where has our conscience as parents and future parents gone?” she enquired.
Psychologist and University of Johannesburg post-doctoral researcher Dr John Ringson notes that children who grow up being exposed to alcohol and other drugs often develop behavioural and emotional complications.
He said street life is often associated with wayward behaviours such as use of foul language, loose morals, and drug and substance abuse.
“Such children are at a high risk of having no interest in their academics or could struggle with school in future. They may also be prone to depression, and drug and substance abuse,” said Dr Ringson.
“There is a need for the authorities to swiftly intervene and take these minors for psychological therapy when they are enrolled back in school.”
Parents and school administrators, he added, should work jointly to address the menace.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism warns that in both adults and adolescents, drinking also compromises the ability to sense danger by disrupting the function of the brain region called the amygdala.
Director of communications and advocacy in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Mr Taungana Ndoro called for collaboration between schools and parents to protect children from societal ills.
He said parents should make sure their children attend school and, therefore, avoid being idle.
Collective action
Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare’s Harare provincial social welfare officer Mrs Susan Ngani said there is need for affected minors to be placed in a safe space while the situation is being addressed.
She said the disturbing video could be a picture of what is happening in most societies across the country.
“I am tempted to believe that a lot is happening across societies and that we need to act fast as Government and as society,” she said.
Apostle Misheck Ndlela of the Kingdom Ministries is of the view that most communities have become an unsafe environment for minors.
“What is happening is destroying future leaders and is also derailing the fight against drug and substance abuse,” he said.
The Southern African Alcohol Policy Alliance in Zimbabwe (SAAPA ZW) said there is need for strict adherence to laws that regulate the sale of alcohol.
“If we look at what is happening, it is now more critical than ever before to implement preventive measures so as to protect minors,” read a statement released by SAAPA ZW.
The organisation is working in conjunction with the ZRP to strengthen the enforcement of the Liquor Act and enhance child welfare measures in the country.
