Angela Nothando Mlotshwa
Environment and Health Reporter
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA), has said all vendors be removed from school gates to curb the drug plague that is affecting young people and learners across the country.
Led by Ambrose Sibindi, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) is an organisation that aims at empowering residents through promoting social accountability and good local governance.
BPRA chairperson Ambrose Sibindi told ZIM GBC NEWS that plans are underway to have all traders suspected to be selling drugs and illicit substances in the learning institutions be removed from learning institutions gates.
“The issue of removing vendors is very simple. It is the residents’ wish in most areas because there are proven allegations that some vendors are selling these scones with drugs. They are saying the strategy of selling those drugged scones is, one gets addicted and they then buy those scones every time because when you get addicted to a given drug you can’t survive without it, so the idea is that they want to hold their customers and that is where the problem is”, said Ambrose Sibindi.
“The residents are interested, the SDC in schools must all be brought on board, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and child protection committee are the key players and churches also…for now it’s a proposal but which needs more attention”; he added.
He said that vendors should not be allowed to sell these kind of food but rather dry food as these children are future leaders.
“We can not have a nation full of drugged people because these children are innocent and don’t need to be abused. The saddest part is people who are selling these drugged foods are not children, they are adults so surely it’s painful to have adults who have lived their lives and now destroying those of children” bemoaned Sibindi.
Drugged muffins, scones, popcorn, and drinks are mostly found at Universities where vulnerable adult girls are taken advantage of by vendors who drug them. Consuming such drugged foodstuffs may be harmful and cause brain damage, lung cancer, colon cancer, and bronchitis problems which becomes a burden for parents to provide medical attention for their children.