As we grapple with toilet issues, let’s consider underaged girls suffering sexual abuse daily?

By Prince Bill M. Kaping’a Political/Social Analyst

Yesterday morning, Mines & Mineral Development Minister, Paul Kabuswe, was at Kasumbalesa border post to spearhead the rolling out of water and mobile toilets to truck drivers who’ve been marooned for quite a while as they await to be cleared by Customs and Immigration authorities, and be granted passage into mineral rich Congo DR.

While this is undoubtedly highly commendable, it’s equally important to remind our government to respond to the other teething problem with what we may refer to as a, “fire brigade’s approach” as its ramifications may be too ghastly to contemplate as they be of catastrophical proportions!

Some of the truck drivers have obviously taken advantage of the vulnerability of our people in the area to feast on underaged girls, a good number of them as young as 14, with impunity! They actually euphemistically refer to them as “village chickens” whom they can freely enjoy without necessarily compromising their healthy conditions.

To suggest that most of the culprits are foreigners is not a misnomer as empirical evidence suggests so! We were once privileged to view a video clip of truck driver from a neighbouring country that had enticed a young girl selling fruits to help him prepare food. In no time, the duo disappeared in the cabin of the truck for obvious reasons.

Imagine the number of decent young lives being obliterated, daily? Consider how many of them are exposing themselves to possible HIV/AIDS infection? What about unplanned pregnancies; should we allow individuals who are children themselves to continue getting in the motherly way only to come and offload them on our streets as these truck drivers won’t obviously take responsibility?

In the meantime, it’s gratifying that our president has engaged his Congolese counterpart over the same issue at the ongoing heads of state AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. We expect nothing less than a permanent solution.

However, we can still take things on cue from our side and immediately create a Dry port. A good example of such is the Dry port in the mining town of Mufulira owned by Mopani Copper Mines. The facility is secure and has all the appendages of life that one can think of unless of course they want to be a bit adventurous – bathrooms, refreshments and recreation.

This must be immediately replicated at Kasumbalesa! We ought to “confine” these truck drivers in one place as customs and immigration officials work on their papers. This way, we won’t be giving them passports to terrorize surrounding villages in hot pursuit of village chickens!