By Loyd Matare
Despite intensified efforts by the government and the City of Harare to curb drug and substance abuse, all the awareness campaigns, but more disturbing trends keep emerging.
The latest shock comes from Hatcliffe, where youths have reportedly turned to shoe polish as a new way of getting high.
In a community already wrestling with unemployment, broken families and deepening poverty, the development has left parents terrified and confused.
Yesterday, AfroGazette visited Hatcliffe during a City of Harare anti-drug and substance abuse outreach.
One youth, Tinashe Mupanduki (21), openly described how desperation and experimentation have pushed many of his peers into dangerous territory.
“We take the shoe polish, put it inside a light bulb, then heat it up and inhale the smoke. It makes you feel light like you’re floating,” Tinashe explained.
ALSO READ: ‘Passenger Genocide Must End’ —ZPA Warns Govt
“But some people are now losing their minds. We’ve seen guys pass out or hallucinate after taking it.”
The shocking discovery has left many parents panicking, fearing for the safety of their children as the drug menace mutates.
Mrs. Ruvimbo Ncube, a Hatcliffe resident and mother of three, expressed deep worry:
“We thought it was just broncleer, crystal meth, diapers, and marijuana now it’s shoe polish.
“Every corner you pass, there’s a group of young boys inhaling something. We are scared for our children; it’s like a curse haunting this place.”
Another local parent, Mr. Edwin Murenje, said awareness campaigns are not enough unless the government takes the war to the real culprits, the drug lords.
“These awareness campaigns are good, yes, but they don’t solve the problem. We need the government and the city council to go after the suppliers, the big bosses bringing this poison. Until they cut the head of the snake, this won’t stop,” he said.
Speaking to journalists after the Hatcliffe Anti-Drug and Substance Abuse Campaign held yesterday, Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume emphasized that the city is determined to intensify its efforts.
“The fight against drugs is a critical issue here in Hatcliffe and the city over,” Mafume said.
“As a city, we’re determined to eradicate drugs, identify people who are selling them, identify victims and rehabilitate them.
“It is imperative that we double down on our efforts, this is a pandemic, a nationwide problem that we have to confront head-on.”
