The Sunday News
Tendai Rupapa in Mberengwa
WORRYING cases of immorality and drug abuse affecting communities countrywide could be eliminated if the nation embraces First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba programme, which has “valuable teachings” to address societal challenges.
Speaking on the sidelines of the programme here yesterday, traditional leaders, councillors and the elderly agreed that the programme was a game-changer, especially at a time when the nation was grappling with the scourge of drug abuse, prostitution and teenage pregnancies, among youths.
Yesterday’s programme, which was held at Chief Maziofa (Mr Joshua Hove)’s homestead, was attended by 12 chiefs from Mberengwa and their spouses, who came out in full support of the programme. It was held in strict observance of Covid-19 guidelines of masking up, sanitising and maintaining social distance. Chief Maziofa said children in his jurisdiction were being impregnated at a tender age because they no longer had values.
“You always assume that the children will be in school when in fact, they are being impregnated and rejected. This is leaving their parents with many challenges because the responsible boy will not have anything to his name, and it becomes a problem for his parents. I wish this challenge would be dealt with because communities are facing challenges. Even if you visit the clinics, you see young girls with children, something we never witnessed during our time.
“This programme unveiled by the First Lady is good and we embrace it with both hands. We hope and pray that the youths will take the wise counsel from this Nhanga/Gota/Ixhiba programme and use it for their benefit and the nation at large. As chiefs, we shall take this programme forward and teach people throughout the wards, because it is not everyone who has come here due to Covid-19 restrictions.”
So worried are chiefs about juvenile delinquency in the communities that they are rallying behind the First Lady’s programme. Mr Andrew Bvute, who is Chief Bvute, described the First Lady’s intervention as timely.
“This programme is helpful. If you look at our daughters, they are walking in the nude and this angers us as parents and as traditional leaders. This causes many crimes because there are some men who are irresponsible and are disturbed by such dressing. This promotes rape and affects the establishment of strong homes.
This programme brings back our traditional way of life, which makes our daughters behave, as well as boys. Nowadays you find a boy putting on more than one trousers like a roofed house. They are also abusing drugs and alcohol, causing them to drop out of school.
This is bad as we want our children to have good morals so that our country stabilises and our ancestral spirits and God will bless us,” he said.
Good morals, he added, brought blessings and good life. Gogo Serina Mahohoma said children needed to be kept busy so that they do not get time to misbehave.
“I was raised in line with our tradition and during our days we would make clay pots and grind millet, which occupied us. We were busy at the homestead such that there was no time for mischief. Children nowadays are naughty and do as they please no matter how you warn them. They show no respect,” she said while throwing her hands about in disgust.
Gogo Rungamirai Hove also agrees.
“In this area, we have naughty girls and boys who frequent shopping centres where they ask boys to buy them snacks. Once this happens, the boy will seek compensation in the form of sexual favours. Boys are also taking drugs at tender ages and this makes them shameless. Boys are targeting mostly young girls who do not know a lot. I have welcomed this programme because it corrects all this,” she said.
So enthusiastic about the programme were yesterday’s participants that Councillor Tendai Korera, who is also Kadoma Deputy Mayor, sang praises for the First Lady’s non-partisan approach.
“I feel very excited with these programmes that Amai is promoting. Even when we went to the national dress launch which the First Lady spearheaded, we saw that it was apolitical and meant for the good of the nation. Looking at this programme, she is giving valuable lessons to the youths. All her programmes help foster unity, love and development in the country.
As local leaders, we promise to carry forward this programme into communities. Also, as women and people who look after families, we are moving together with the First Lady with the same vision. She has our support as female councillors because her programmes are important for us as women and the whole country,” she said.
Mr Frank Moyo, who is Chief Mutevaidze, described the programme as relevant and educative.
“This programme is good in that it encourages us to go back to our tradition. While growing up, boys had their own games like hunting without mixing with girls unless they went for swimming. We swam with girls without hassles. The spirit we have today is so bad which drives people to rape,” he said.
Midlands Chief’s Council chairperson Mr Zama Mkwananzi, who is Chief Ngungumbane, made a similar observation.
“As a province and the nation at large, we are truly thankful for the programme. Every good leader identifies the needs of the people, and this is what our First Lady does. She saw that youths nowadays were now going astray and quickly initiated this programme which is tailor-made to give solutions to the challenges. If we correct our way of life, all problems will come to an end,” he said.
In the gota with the chiefs and the elderly, boys were taught many things and also did practical lessons like making axes, cooking sticks, trapping animals and yoking cattle. They were also taught to slaughter goats and chickens, which they gave to the girls to cook as part of their practical lessons. Besides preparing traditional foods, girls were taught ironing, laundry, making clay pots and mats and bags, among other household chores.
In the nhanga, girls also had lessons on personal hygiene, respect, observing chastity, menstrual hygiene and the importance of education. They were warned against indulging in premarital sex, which exposed them to many health and socio-economic challenges.
The First Lady appointed yesterday’s participants ambassadors of the programme and gave them certificates.
She promised to send similar certificates to all the boys and girls who participated in the programme countrywide. In her address, the First Lady said she was disturbed by the rate at which children were getting lost morally.
“The way our children are getting lost bids on us to put our heads together.
We thought the challenge was confined to urban areas but it’s now all over, including in rural areas.
This strengthened me to rise and help our children who are being affected by drugs mostly. Girls are competing with their fathers in taking alcohol, fancying themselves “German tankers”. They are also engaging in sexual activities at tender ages. This is affecting us as mothers. Children must be afraid of sex before the time is ripe. Sex brings about diseases, death and many other challenges,” she said.
Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Larry Mavima praised the First Lady for the programme, which he described as educative, and urged traditional leaders to carry it forward to their communities.
Deputy Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Tino Machakaire and his Local Government counterpart Marian Chombo were also present.
