IT is a question on the lips of most Zimbabweans – and, surely, none more so than the country’s most famous sportsperson and Zimbabwe’s top Olympian, having won seven of the country’s eight Olympic medals to date.
Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Leigh Coventry Seward must have been very healthy and sporting fit to accomplish such feats – beginning from high school.
Now minister of youth, sport, arts and recreation, Coventry’s heart must be bleeding – for her school Harare Dominican Convent and the youth of today!
January 2023: The prestigious and elite girls-only institution established in 1895 in the capital ‘s sunshine city, sent shockwaves across the country’s education system, announcing it had expelled eight senior girls over alleged drug and substance abuse at a 2023 upper sixth leadership camp.
The school excursion took place in the picturesque eastern highlands from January 12 to 15 with the head explaining the school disciplinary committee had exercised all principles of procedure and fairness and found the senior girls guilty of violation of violating the school’s policy, rules and regulations.
What is going on?
In many of college campuses and high schools are host to a litany of fraught drugs and substance abuse — and, increasingly, challenges and conflicts are breaking out of the academic spaces to feature in arguments around ideas about “psycho-social trauma” and “healthcare.”
In email comment to questions from The Afronews this week, minister Coventry says “drugs and substance abuse are not compatible with learning”.
“From secondary (high) school up to university, students have not been spared by this menace,” Coventry says.
“There has been noticeable increase in school drop-outs, bullying and poor performance,” reiterates the country’s top Olympian.
The spike in drug and substance abuse among the youth – in and out of school – has been dominating headlines ever since the Convent incident which is but one example of deeply harmful habits that are crying for intervention.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa quickly responded, setting up a drug and substance abuse mitigation fund as part of an inter-ministerial committee in efforts to speed up high-impact activities in the war against the scourge.
“We cannot bequeath the country kuvana vakasticker (a generation of stoned youths,)” he told a youth conference in the country’s second largest city Bulawayo where he was guest speaker and warned them off the dangerous habit.
The President also warned drug dealers they would be punished more severely than before as one step to cut the supply side of the menace.
But the challenge is that alcohol and so-called recreational drugs have become very much a part of many leisure events among the youth and students – during holidays, outings, end-of-day routines and other celebrations – the life-and-soul of the party!
Alvin Gukuta, programmes officer at Students and Youth Working on Reproductive Health Action Team (SAYWHAT), a Zimbabwe-based membership organisation of young activists working on sexual and reproductive health and rights, says some of the major causes of increased drug and substance abuse are financial stress, stress, relationships challenges and family issues.
“Of course we cannot dismiss influences of culture and society and just the curiosity, the desire to be themselves – the causes vary in accordance to age and geographical spaces,” says Gukuta.
And the youth activist agrees with his minister on the detrimental effects on the schools and tertiary systems: “poor academic performance, mental health problems, psychological and physiological problems in addition to risky sexual behavior”.
Jivas Chirinda, a school drop-out from Epworth near the capital and under-going rehabilitation, is under no illusion of the impact of drug abuse
“Let’s hope the Convent girls are not en route to academic oblivion,” he quips, almost to himself. “We may not know the full story of what else the big sisters did but I bet it’s not cool!”
Former Junior Member of Parliament for Chimanimani East – again in the eastern highlands – Ropafadzo Dzviti, says the drug scene has been very concerning.
“We have been working with World Vision on the ground to make schools safe and health for students,” she says adding that there has been positive impact with girls remaining in school and aware of their rights and potential to their potential.”
‘We are carrying out campaigns in communities and our inter-generational dialogues have been well-received . . . though a lot still needs to be done!” she says.
With the rising trajectory of drug abuse among youths national study reports that the most drugs of choice among youth are alcohol, marijuana and methamphetamine (meth or mutoriro in local street lingo)
All are illegal and dangerous and as with all drugs , are associated with serious health conditions including memory lapses, unpredictable or psychotic behaviours and potential heart and brain damage.
“Crystal meth’s effect is highly concentrated and many users reported easily getting hooked after a few trials or uses,” says Edson Sinyoro, a social worker at a referral hospital.
“Its strength combines chemical substances from battery acid, drain cleaners and even powders scrapped from fluorescent bulbs!”
But it’s not all doom and gloom: both alcohol and drug abuse problems are treatable conditions, says Brookes Chimoto, a rehabilitation manager at the ministry of health and child care (MOHCC.)
“Currently approximately 60% of Zimbabwe’s patients admitted in mental health institutions suffer due to drug-related problems – and hence as a nation there is need to have a concerted effort to address the problem.
“Recovering from the challenges takes commitment, courage and time . . . people with substance can and do get better!” Chimoto says, explaining the government has come up with a Drug Master Plan after wide consultations.
This plan’s aim is to help in strengthening responses to drugs in order to enhance health, security and well-being of all citizens, adds the MOHCC’s permanent secretary retired air-commodore Dr Jasper Chimedza.
“There is great relief and optimism that the guidelines and strategies . . . will pave way to strengthen responses on drug-related issues and their effects,” he wrote in the foreword to the master plan.
Teens generally want to fit in with peers and “such pressure is inescapable,” agrees Coventry, explaining that as ministry they are continuing education and awareness programmes on the health and social consequences of drug abuse”..
“Most youths especially adolescents, take drugs quite oblivious of the dire consequences of their actions,” says one of the world’s top backstroke and medley swimmers, who healthily won three medals in the 2004 Olympics, including a gold in the 200 m backstroke.
Coventry also calls for more stable family environments.
‘Family disintegration, hostile family environments may be one of the causes of this harmful habit among youth,” Coventry emphasizes.
“Without other alternatives, youths fall on drugs to escape the mental turmoil of harsh family environments.”
