Society should play its part and complement Government efforts if the country is to win the war against drug and substance abuse while schools should expel bullies so that a peaceful atmosphere obtains at learning institutions, President Mnangagwa has said.
Speaking during a field tour at his Pricabe Farm in Kwekwe, President Mnangagwa said there was no place for drug abuse and bullying in Zimbabwe calling everyone to put their hands on the deck. He also called on people to respect divergent political views and not resort to political violence ahead of the harmonised elections this year.
“We must collectively fight drug abuse at family, household, community, business levels, we must fight this together. It is no longer an issue that you say Government will do this for us, all of us must fight drug abuse, it is destroying our young generation,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said the community should play their role by exposing drug peddlers and those who bring the drugs into the country so that they be brought to book. Police, upon the behest of the President have since embarked on a nationwide operation targeting drug dealers resulting in the arrest of a number of them.
“I have ordered police to arrest anyone who would be found drunk from drugs. The moment they wake up, they should be able to name the person who supplied them and they get arrested. That is the way we can end this menace,” he said.
On bullying, President Mnangagwa said parents, church and traditional leaders should play a crucial role in ending this.
“It is worrisome from the reports I get that some end up committing suicide while some kill each other due to bullying. Parents should play their role in telling their children not to participate in bullying others,” said President Mnangagwa.
He said the Government was looking at ways of dealing with the issue. He said those that bully others should be expelled from school so at to create a conducive learning environment. The President called upon church and traditional leaders to play a key role.
“I call upon everyone including chiefs, headmen and the church to continue preaching the gospel of peace and love. The church must emphasise on the issue of bullying and drug abuse as I think the church has a big role to play in educating people,” he said.
President Mnangagwa said peace should prevail from the grassroots to the apex of society. On elections, President Mnangagwa called for peace saying violence had no place in Zimbabwe.
“We should campaign peacefully and leave those with different views do so peacefully. We should be a peaceful nation and we should prove this in the way we conduct ourselves in this coming election,” he said.
