Suburban Reporter
A Form One school girl was sexually abused by a Form Two boy following a beer drinking binge at a Waterfalls school on Monday this week, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has reported.
The ZRP said alcohol drinking continues to be a problem in schools and urged school authorities to monitor students while they are school premises.
According to the police, the abuse took place in the school grounds following beer drinking spree by the students during break time.
“The ZRP is concerned with reports of students who are drinking beer at school premises and urges school authorities to monitor the students even when they are at break or lunch at school grounds. On 25 September 2023 a Form One female student was sexually abused by a Form Two male student following a beer drinking spree with other students during break time at the school grounds in Waterfalls, Harare,” the ZRP said in a statement on their official X handle (formerly known as Twitter).
Drug, alcohol and substance abuse has permeated the social fabric of Zimbabwe with school students, unemployed youths, adults and even some who are employed engaging in the scourge.
Recently, the Zimbabwe National Organisation of Associations and Residents Trust (ZNOART) called on the authorities to empower communities to deal with the drug and substance abuse scourge which is decimating the nation.
The residents’ body said communities should be empowered to deal with those abusing drugs and should work with the police to bring drug peddlers to book. Youths should also be empowered to understand the negative effects of drug and substance abuse.
“As residents we call upon the authorities to help us provide community based rehabilitation. Our recreational facilities in our neighbourhoods are in a deplorable state. Local authorities have destroyed them. It’s high time Government treats this issue as state of emergency. Our future generation is at stake. The future of Zimbabwe is shaped by the youth of today,” ZNOART said in a statement.
The residents’ body also said that alcohol and other drug problems must be understood as social, economic, spiritual and health problems. Such an approach will provide an opportunity for all those involved in the campaign against the drugs abuse menace to re-orient their energies towards ridding or reducing the vagaries of alcohol and drug abuse in society.
“Religious bodies are central pillars in the promotion of the fundamentals that provide a firm foundation upon which alcohol and drug abuse is dealt with in society. The truth of the matter is that in churches today, there are people struggling with drug use disorders albeit quietly. The reality is that in the confines of any religious organisation, someone is suffering in silence, enslaved to some addictive substance or behaviour. Accepting this reality becomes imperative for the leaders, so as to enable religious organisations to take a stand in the fight against substance abuse and addiction.”
