The clergy in Chilanga district in Lusaka province has commended the move taken by the government to round-up delinquents commonly known as ‘junkies’ in Lusaka district noting that it is long overdue.
Chilanga Constituency Pastors Fellowship Chairperson, Reverend Richard Sikazwe says government’s decision to round up junkies as they are commonly known off the streets is good for safety and peace in the country.
Rev. Sikazwe was speaking in an interview and said: “Like cadres who used to terrorise citizens, these junkies begun to look like improved cadres. They would snatch phones, beat up people, remove shoes from passers-by and steal, smoke drugs in broad daylight and many such wrongs.”
Rev. Sikazwe noted that the junkies, who are mostly youths, have no source of income hence their decision to engage into criminal activities.
He has since asked the government to consider admitting them into skill training centres under the Zambia National Service (ZNS).
Rev. Sikazwe said government should move into Chilanga and other places to arrest the junkies.
“Ministry of Community Development and Social Welfare needs to work with the Churches to identify, train and integrate these Junkies,” he said.
And in a separate interview, John Mukupa, a Priest in the New Apostolic Church based in Chilanga, has also commended government for arresting junkies from various townships in Lusaka.
Mr Mukupa has since recommended that the exercise of rounding up junkies be done countrywide.
He noted that the periodic rounding-up of the junkies is not enough hence the need for government to find a lasting solution to the problem of street kids and youths in criminal gangs.
He said one of the solutions could be establishing government owned orphanages where street kids can be kept.
The clergyman suggested that these kids can be enrolled for skills training at ZNS when they grow older.
“Those who form gangs and commit criminal activities should be arrested and taken to prison so that they can reform. The position of the church is clear, we have always preached good morals, but we have limitations on delivering the message to the masses because it is not everyone who attends church services,” he said.
Mr Mukupa has meanwhile advised parents and guardians to teach decency to their children at home.
“Charity begins at home and so, if children are not properly brought up, as a church, our hands are tied. Let them face the law so that they can reform,’’ he added.
I totally agree with the clergymen here…. ZNS skills training is an important tool that Government has at its disposal to deal with these youths to reform them and give them life skills.
I would go further and propose that once our economy has picked up,the New Dawn Government should re-introduce compulsory ZNS training for all school leavers for the purpose of inculcating discipline in our young people…. there is just too much indiscipline,laziness and loitering among our youths which was not the case when we older citizens went through the compulsory ZNS training under KK.I totally appreciate the training now….
Don’t just join the bandwagon, deal with the real issue of why these kids find themselves in these situations in the first place. As a country our values and culture have eroded and it’s sad to see that even your own family members can sell you off for a few ngwees. Fix the home and the rest will fix itself.
Unfortunately it’s just a short-term measure as the government has not dealt with the supply side of junkies. It dates from Kenneth Kaunda’s time in office. Urbanization without industrialisation leads to serious unemployment problems so that families are unable to provide for their children. They then try their luck in the informal sector; street selling, prostitution, drug pushing etc. That’s where we are in Zambia. We’re sending the police to deal with decades of public policy failure.
Rev Sikazwe, are you admitting the church has lost the salt taste? Is not where the church partner with the state? Is this an indication of moral decay along with other evident devices in our communities ?
Rev, we need to rise to the occasion as the and play our spiritual role to change the minds citizens at community level. If CDF can help the church lets bring the innovations in caring for the vulnerable and rehabilitating to be useful to the work of God, lets do it.
Thanks for the concern though and stay blessed.
With freedom of expression in abundance like never before, some people develop loose nuts in their brains hence they should go for rehabilitation at the correction centre.
Before elections we were called UPND cadres. They used us to campaign for them . After electiions and that they are now in top offices we are now dumped and are now called junkies. What a world! Zambia ni pano tuli.
I do agree with arresting the so called junkies but do you know why you are calling them junkies , the main reason why you call them that is because they dont have the means to live in this country , they have no jobs to support themselves .
Those youths are frustrated with life they cannot even think of getting married one of the basic human rights but they are humans just like you they would like to raise a family but they have no chance.
My point is that the goverment must first educate them and help them to have something to do in life provide jobs for them and they will stop being junkies as they wil be responsible citzens and every one knows that , just arresting cannot be a permanent solution mind you they are also zambians who deserve to live well.
This phenomenon of marauding gangs of youth terrorising citizens is directly related to the demise of the PF cader movement, and ……….
With it the drying up of cash handouts………
As much as $3 million per month used to be deprived from the Zambian economy to fuel the PF cader handouts , which supported other related unemployed gangs………..
Now all these funds are working to fix the economy, we expect this junkie phenomenon to die out……..