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Sydney Mubaiwa in Bikita
A prominent Bikita traditional leader, Chief Marozva, has urged youths to shun drug abuse and focus their energy on developing their talents if they are to play a positive role in promoting socio-economic development in Zimbabwe.

Chief Marozva Mr Phillip Mudhe made the call yesterday at Lithium Stadium at Bikita Minerals, where hundreds of villagers, including youths, had converged for a sport tournament sponsored by the lithium miner. He decried the high number of youths who had turned into crime, saying Zimbabwe needed focused young people with a vision to develop their communities.

“We can build a better and prosperous Zimbabwe if our youths refrain from drug abuse and do not succumb to peer pressure. Today, it is unfortunate that most of our youths think that it’s part of life to smoke or drink alcohol, and for the boys, they think it is a style to chase after girls. They should desist from drug abuse and take part in development,” he said.

In his address at the same event, the director in the Office of Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister, Mr Kudakwashe Machako, warned youths on the dangers of taking illicit drugs, some of which were behind a surge in diseases such as HIV/AIDS.

“Drug and substance abuse among our youths is a cause of concern for the police and other stakeholders. If we fail to take meaningful steps to condemn this menace and fight it head on, its effects on the generality and welfare of the people will be devastating as this may lead to the spread of diseases like HIV/AIDS, which we are fighting against,’’ he said.