HARARE - Kulabantwana abancane asebengena okungekho emthethweni endaweni okuthengisa utshwala ngenxa yokuswela ukudla lokunye okufunakala sonke isikhathi empilweni.
Abantwana laba abaleminyaka ephansi kwelitshumi lasitshiyangalombili – 18 bathengisa impahla etshiyeneyo bengananzeleli ukuba bephula umthetho.
Abantwana laba bathengisa amaqanda, igwayi, amazambane, iziwiji lokunye. Amapholisa athi akuvunyelwa ukuba benze lokhu ngoba bephula umthetho weLiquor Act.
Osakhulayo okunhlanganiso yeNational Youth Development Trust, uSichelesile Mguni, uthi abantwana laba kabazenzi ngoba sibi kakhulu isimo somnotho eZimbabwe.
“Isimo somnotho kasimanga kuhle, wonke umuntu udinga imali- ubaba, umama, ugogo, uAunty laye- kuthi abantwana labo sebedingiswa imali bethengisa, yikho sibathola besemabhawa lasendaweni zabadala, lapho okwenziwa ezinto ezingahambelani labantwana. Kuthi umphakathi kawusazinaki indaba zikamakhelwane- nxa umntwana engasikho wami, akulani lami. Uthola ukuthi abantwana abasela muntu ongabakhuza lokubanakekela.”
Kodwa omela amalungelo abantwana njalo ofundisa ekholitshini leLupane State University, uMnumzana Mbulisi Ndlovu, uthi abazali yibo abenza abantwana bethengise impahla etshiyeneyo endaweni zokunatha utshwala.
“Umthetho ufundiswa ngekhaya; angizake ngilibone ilizwe elibhoda lifundisa abantu imithetho. Nxa kuthiwa abantwana beZimbabwe bayahlonipha, balomthetho; umthetho wakhona bayabe bewufundiswe ngekhaya, hatshi nguhulumende. Kungakho, nxa umntwana esephula umthetho welizwe, kutsho ukuthi ngekhaya kuyekethisiwe, ubuntu kabusekho ngekhaya obokufundisa umntwana imithetho okumele ayilandele.”
Owesifazana, ocele ukubizwa ngokuthi nguMagigwana, uyakulandula lokhu.
“Udubo lezinhlupheko sokukunengi kakhulu. Umntwana uyazala esemncane, umama abe ngugogo esemncance; kuthwalwe nzima ezindlini. Ubona ukuthi umama logogo lomntwana bacina besiyathengisa bonke, bedinga imali ngoba izinto zijikile, akusafanani lakudala.”
Igqwetha, uMnumzana Ephraim Ndlovu, uthi akukho emthethweni ukuthi abantwana bengene endaweni ezingafanelanga ezinjengebhawa.
“Nxa kubhaliwe ukuthi abantu abaphansi kweminyaka elitshumi lasitshiyagalombili abavunyezwa ukungena, akumelanga sithole abantwana kulezondawo. Abazali abatholakala belabantwana khonapho, lephula umthetho. Labantwana abathunywa ngabazali ukuthi bayethengisa endaweni ezinjalo, akulunganga khonokho, yikwephula umthetho.”
Isikhulumeli samapholisa, uAssistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, uthi abanikazi bamabhawa balakho ukubotshwa uma bevumela abantwana ukuthi bengene endaweni zokuthengisa utshwala.
“Singananzelela iLiquor Act, ikubeka sobala ukuthi akumelanga abanikazi bamabhawa kumbe amaNight Clubs, beyekele abantwana bengena endaweni lezi bethenga utshwala. Sicela uzulu ukuthi bengabona indaba ezinje basitshele, umthetho ujezise abawephulayo.”
Ocubungula indaba zabasakhulayo njalo emela amalungelo abo, uSinqobizitha Nyathi, uthi ngumlandu womuntu wonke ukuqeda loludubo.
“Kufuna sibambe ndawonye ukuze sivimbe ukuthi abantwana bengayi kulezindawo. Abalungisa imithetho, kanye lababona ukuthi iyalandelwa leyi mithetho, balomsebenzi. Kuthi emakhaya lapha esihlala khona, ikakhulu emalokitshini, abadala bengabona abantwana besendaweni ezinje, ababaxotshe. Lamakhansila kangenele njalo. Kufuna sincedane, sifake amakhanda ndawonye.”
Ezinye ingcwethi ezilwela amalungelo abantwana zithi kuzaba nzima ukuthi udubo lolu luphele, ikakhulu nxa umnotho ugugudeka ngamandla.
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