By Moses Magadza

WINDHOEK – Professionals working with adolescents suffering from drug or substance disorders are honing their skills to provide family therapy. This, as research shows that children
as young as nine years are among regular drug and substance users in Namibia.

Towards the end of December 2019, a team of professionals from various disciplines met to bounce ideas off each other in a three-day training as officials expressed grave concern over the early age at which some children were using drugs and substances in the country.

Mrs. Rene Adams, the Program Manager responsible for Substance Abuse Prevention, Drug Control and Rehabilitation in the Ministry of Health and Social Services, officially opened the
workshop.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) convened and funded the training dubbed ‘Booster Training of the Family-based Treatment Training Package for Adolescents with
Drug and other Substance use Disorders’.

Major crisis

Adams said a recent nationwide study by the MoHSS targeting adolescents aged between 13 and 16 years had thrown light on a disturbing phenomenon: some children younger than 10 years of
age had commenced using drugs and substances.

“They start at the age of nine. Regular use of drugs and substances, not experimenting. They drink alcohol, sniff glue and smoke dagga. We need more of these trainings,” she said.

She welcomed the training, saying Namibia had a serious shortage of human resources for mental health and was struggling to cope with worsening drug and substance crises.

“We (professionals) are just a few but our country has a big problem,” she said.

Family therapy

Adams said the active involvement of empowered families was necessary to prevent more adolescents experimenting with drugs and other substances that might lead to drug use disorders.

She hoped the training would boost efforts to build a cohort of adequately trained and skilled professionals to respond to issues related to drug and substance use disorders and to work closely with families.

“We need family-based therapy for adolescents substance use disorder. We need to know and assist the families. Once a person goes for treatment and feels better, they return to their
families,” Adams said.

She explained that the effects of drug or substance abuse affect not just the people using drugs, but other family members as well as those around them.

“It’s a family addiction. Back in the days, we believed that substance abuse affected at least 16 people around the patient. I think it is 16 multiplied by two. This is because our families tend to be big and include extended family members. This problem affects much more people than we initially thought,” she said.

Evidence-based responses

Signe Rotberga, the UNODC Regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, called for the use of counterfactual evidence and developing partnerships in responding to drug and substance
challenges.

In remarks made on her behalf by a UNODC official, Rotberga cautioned against knee-jerk responses and over-reliance on the criminal justice system through criminalization when dealing
with drug use issues.

Dr Lahija Hamunjela facilitated the training. She is an internationally certified addiction treatment professional. Additionally, she is a specialist in psychiatry and mental health.

She said the training sought to build a cadre of “baseline professionals” to help many adolescents that were presenting at health facilities with substance use disorders. According to Hamunjela, the most accessible and abused drugs and substances in Namibia included glue and oil which are sniffed, and cigarettes, dagga, cannabis “and cocaine which is now common”.

Red flags

She said there were tell tale signs that a child is using drugs or other substances. She encouraged parents to be observant and seek help early.

“When parents notice their child’s school marks going down or the child exhibiting behavioral problems, they should wonder if drugs or substances are not involved,” she said.

Parental capacity

The tragedy, Hamunjela said, was that many parents had neither knowledge nor skills to deal with a child that is using drugs or substances.

“It can be worse if the child develops drug or substance use disorders. Some parents are in denial while others attribute such a child’s behavior and mental condition to other factors, most commonly witchcraft,” she elucidated.

She said while most people were good at taking children and other people who develop substance use disorders to health facilities “to be fixed”, few were adept at supporting such
patients to ensure adherence to treatment after they are discharged.

“That is why family therapy is important. It empowers every member of the family to support the patient to full recovery. It is not easy to stop once one has begun using drugs or other substances. Addiction is a chronic brain disease. The potential for relapse is high. Maintaining sobriety is not
easy,” she argued.

Enthusiastic response

Most of the approximately 30 participants welcomed the training. Charles Mabulawa is the Rehabilitation Coordinator in charge of Mental Health and Special Needs Offenders at the
Gobabis Correctional Facility of the Namibian Correctional Service (NCS). He found the training “very relevant” to his work.

“Young people form a significant part of offenders under our care. We call them juvenile inmates. Substance abuse is one of the factors that bring them into conflict with the law and the criminal justice system. At NCS, we are implementing rehabilitative interventions to combat the challenges of drug and substance abuse,” he said.

He hailed the training for its “emphasis on evidence-based interventions” and how families can get involved.

“The family forms part of the support system. Dynamics within the family can influence outcomes of treatment. The active involvement of families can significantly reduce recidivism,”
he said.

Mabulawa said although he had vast experience in the management of substance use disorders, he still found the training unique in that it sought to build the capacity of practitioners to deal with adolescents struggling with drug or substance use issues.

“I primarily work with juvenile offenders. What I learned will boost my skills in managing young people,” he said.

Esther Nana Awuku is a Clinical Psychologist at the Mental Health Care Center at Windhoek Central Hospital. For her, the training could not have come at a more opportune time. She said lately, many young people were presenting with substance or drug use disorders.

“In extreme cases, we attend to children as young is six years. Some children begin by abusing substances that include petrol before using hard drugs. It’s a big problem – a real epidemi see this most of the time. It maybe because ours is a state-run facility. We tend to serve many members of the community,” she said.

Awuku said the training had helped her engage better with clients and to carefully consider approaches to use. Additionally, it had exposed her to current and emerging issues related to
substance and drug abuse.

“It was an eye-opener. It enabled me to better appreciate the work we do. I was able to pick up new skills, especially those related to motivational approaches when working with resistant or uncooperative clients,” she gushed.

Josephine Shilongo, a social worker, holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Namibia Defense Force (NDF) where she heads the Directorate of Social Services and Rehabilitation. She
strongly recommended that the training becomes an ongoing process and not an event.

“Alcohol and drug use have become serious issues in our force. Many of our soldiers and recruits are young. By the time they come to us, some of them would have already begun using drugs and taking alcohol. This training has added to my knowledge. Now I can partner with families,” she said.

Atelma Thanises, another social worker with MoHSS, said she could not wait to go back to Swakopmund where she is based and share her new-found knowledge and skills with her
colleagues.

“I am a member of the West Coast Association of Social Workers. I will use that platform to widely share my knowledge and skills on managing substance and disorder cases,” she enthused.

She revealed that substance abuse was one of the 10 top social problems in Swakopmund.

“It is a common feature in many cases of attempted suicide. It also features prominently in cases of marital problems and acute confusion or psychosis. It is a very rampant problem,” she said.

Drug abuse is a global challenge. The UNODC Drug Report of 2019 showed that 271 million people aged between 15 and 64 had used drugs, with about 35 million suffering from drug use
disorders globally.

The UNODC supported the training under its regional Programme on ‘Making SADC Communities Free of Crime and Drugs’.

By Richard Muponde
GOVERNMENT has warned schools against wantonly hiking fees ahead of the opening of the schools on January 14, saying it would not approve such increases.

Addressing a rented crowd made up of mostly residents bussed in from other suburbs after Kuwadzana residents snubbed the event, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his administration would not approve exorbitant hikes in school fees.

“I have heard that you are complaining that school fees have been increased. We haven’t approved any fees hikes. All government schools haven’t increased school fees and government has not approved any fees hike,” he said.

“What I have are requests by local authorities that they want to increase rates and from what I have gathered here as your grievances, I am going to refuse those requests.”

The clean-up programme, which was scheduled to start around 8:30am, was delayed by nearly two hours to allow Zupco and Zanu PF buses to bring in people from outside Kuwadzana — an MDC stronghold.

Earlier, police had allegedly chased away vendors from Kuwadzana 2 shopping centre and forced small shops to close, claiming the directive had come from the Environment Management Agency (EMA) which superintends the clean-up campaigns.

However, EMA denied giving such orders.
In an interview on the sidelines, EMA official Steady Kangata said the clean-up campaign was not held to disturb businesses but to boost them.

“We have never ordered the chasing away of vendors or closure of any business. The clean-up campaign is done within two hours and in that period it’s meant for the greater good. There is no disturbance to religious activities, businesses, social and educational activities, instead it gives the vendors and businesses an opportunity to boost their sales and to clean up areas where they work from and attract clients,” Kangata said.

Mnangagwa urged citizens to keep their surroundings clean to attract visitors and investors into the country.

“I am happy that Harare is becoming clean. I am not sure whether it’s all areas because I have just driven along Samora Machel. Let’s keep the country clean so that visitors find it clean and attractive. Don’t just say EMA and councils should keep the places clean, you should also do the same,” he said.

By Garikai Mafirakureva

THE European Union (EU) has reportedly withdrawn its €16 million offer for development of infrastructure for protection of wildlife in the vast Save Valley Conservancy over Zimbabwe government’s reluctance to end land invasions and respect property rights.

The EU extended the offer three years ago in a bid to make the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) project a success, but government could not guarantee protection of property rights in order to access the fund.

Environment, Tourism and Hospitality permanent secretary Munesu Munodawafa confirmed the development in a recent interview, but was quick to say that government has since resumed talks with EU to consider using the money for related projects in the country.

He was at pains to explain why government was not willing to take up the offer at a time President Emmerson Mnangagwa was pushing the “Zimbabwe is open for business” mantra at almost every international platform he is invited to address.

“The situation at the moment is that the European Union has officially decommissioned the fund for Save Valley Conservancy after the three-year period of offer lapsed. What this means is that we can no longer access that fund for Save Valley projects unless we re-engage EU.

“The government is continuing to engage the EU to see if we can agree whether to use the money for other projects or to reconsider the Save Valley project. The money has not yet been withdrawn from the country. We are hoping that by February next year (this year) talks between the government and the EU will be complete,” Munodawafa said.

The main purpose of the fund was to erect a perimeter fence along the GLTP corridor that would enable wild animals from Zimbabwe, South Africa and Mozambique to move freely across the borders in the giant park.

Some properties in Save Valley are owned by investors from EU member countries under Bilateral Investment Protection and Promotion Agreements (BIPPAs), but the government of Zimbabwe failed to respect the agreements and property rights after it turned a blind eye on the invasion of the properties in the conservancy during the land reform, leading to the conservancy losing over 30% of its prime land to newly-settled farmers.

The conservancy was forced to relocate over 500 elephants, 1 500 impalas, lions and wild dogs to Chizarira National Park in Gokwe’s Sengwa Gorge area and two other privately-owned game parks in Mashonaland West and Central provinces due to overpopulation.

However, it remains to be seen if the re-engagement efforts will yield any positive results as government policies on land and property ownership rights remain unclear. Just recently, Vice-President Kembo Mohadi told a Zanu PF national conference in Goromonzi that government would intensify its land grab for the benefit of landless youths.

Efforts to get comments from EU head of delegation in Zimbabwe, Timo Olkkonen proved fruitless as his phone was not reachable.
GLTP is a 35 000km² peace park that links the Limpopo National Park (formerly known as Coutada 16) in Mozambique, Kruger National Park in South Africa, Gonarezhou National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari Area in Zimbabwe, as well as the area between Kruger and Gonarezhou, the Sengwe communal land in Zimbabwe and the Makuleke region in South Africa.

by RICHARD MUPONDE

MINISTER of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, Ezra Chadzamira (pictured)’s name has been dragged into the alleged diversion of 15 metric tonnes of donated rice meant to benefit villagers in Chivi South but ended up in Harare and other parts of the country.

The rice was allocated through Chivi South Member of Parliament, Killer Zivhu on the strength of a letter from the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare Simon Masanga to Harare depot manager of the Grain Marketing Board Harare.

A couple, Veronica Mhlanga and her husband Donny Huruva, a relative to Chivi Rural District Council chairperson, Godfrey Huruva Mukungunugwa has been arrested over the matter and is assisting police with investigations.

The case was reported under Immediate Report (IR) 010074 and a Criminal Record (CR) is still to be opened.

Zivhu yesterday confirmed the incident.

“What happened is that MPs were given an allocation by the President (Emmerson Mnangagwa) of 15 metric tonnes of rice each for their constituencies. When I went to collect it, I found that it had been collected by a woman by the name Veronica Mhlanga whom I don’t know. I then sent messages to (Zanu PF) councillors and MPs WhatsApp groups trying to trace the rice but didn’t get a positive response,” said Zivhu
He said he had to trace Mhlanga through her Facebook page and she allegedly confessed to having collected the rice after being given the green light by Mukungunugwa.

“They collected the letter on December 20 and took the allocation on December 24, but it hasn’t arrived in the constituency,” Zivhu said.

“After I made noise everywhere, they then delivered 100 bags on Monday at a councillor’s shop and said the remainder will be delivered in seven days. They said they had been sent by Minister Chadzamira to collect the rice. I have transport to ferry the rice for free and surprisingly the rice was distributed in Harare to people who don’t even come from Chivi South.

As I speak the couple has been arrested and is in police custody.”

Chadzamira yesterday refused to comment saying he was in a meeting.

However national police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the allocations for Chivi South and Gutu North were collected on Chadzamira’s instruction.
He added that the issue was being held at provincial level.

“From our investigations we have established that the rice in question was distributed in Chivi South constituency by the Department of Social Welfare on the directive of the relevant minister. We have also established that another consignment is on its way there. There’s no theft which took place,” Nyathi said.

Zivhu and Chadzamira have not been in good books after the provincial minister who is also Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chair recommended the summary expulsion of the legislator from the ruling party.

He accused Zivhu of treacherous behaviour after he called on Mnangagwa and MDC leader Nelson Chamisa to hold talks to resolve the country’s economic crisis.
Zivhu’s fate now lies with the Zanu-PF national disciplinary committee chaired by Oppah Muchinguri after he appealed against the decision by Chadzamira’s executive.

BY FIDELITY MHLANGA

THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) has extended the lifespan of the 2019 fuel licences by one month to allow for administrative changes to the licensing process.
The fuel licences were due for renewal on December 31, 2019.

In a circular dated December 30, addressed to fuel dealers, Zera said: “Please be advised that the duration of petroleum licences issued in 2019 has been extended to 31 January 2020.

This extension has been necessitated by some administrative changes to the licensing process which Zera will be finalising before the revised expiry date. Operators will be advised once the processes has been finalised.”

But the delay in issuing fuel import licences has jolted indigenous fuel players who see the move as an attempt to elbow them out by hiking licencing fees and in the process creating monopolies in the energy sector
“It’s just a mechanism meant to frustrate and to benefit one person in the industry. Instead they should allow anyone to bring fuel just like when the oil sector was liberalised back then,” said one fuel dealer.

Zera acting chief executive officer Eddington Mazambani could neither confirm nor deny whether the regulator will hike licence fees.

“It is true, we are consulting on the new licensing framework for the petroleum sector. Until consultations are finalised, I cannot pre-empt,” Mazambani said.

Efforts to get a comment from the Indigenous Petroleum Association of Zimbabwe (Ipaz) — a grouping of local fuel companies were fruitless yesterday.

Zimbabwe’s major oil-importing entities include Ipaz, Zuva Petroleum, Puma Energy, Total Zimbabwe, Glow Petroleum, Petrotrade (Pvt) Ltd and Engen Petroleum Zimbabwe.

Sakunda and Redan were some of the key members of Ipaz until they were taken over by Singapore-based Trafigura group, one of the world’s leading commodity trading companies, and Puma Energy — which are related companies — respectively.

The prices of diesel and petrol are at $17,90 and 17,40 per litre, respectively. The “precious liquid” has remained elusive on the market, with desperate motorists spending hours in long-winding queues countrywide.

Unregistered fuel dealers have taken advantage of the fuel crisis to sell fuel on the parallel market predominantly in hard currency.

On a daily basis, the oil companies and Ipaz would need to collectively import 4 254 285 litres of diesel and 3 231 428 litres of petrol.

According to Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya, fuel gobbles 45% of total foreign currency receipts annually.

Mangudya blamed the spike in demand for fuel to the growing vehicle population in the country, which has jumped 50% to 1,8 million as of 2018.

To take advantage of the huge volumes of fuel shipped into the country, Treasury in the 2020 budget resolved to ring-fence 5% of excise duty revenue collected on fuel towards the construction and rehabilitation of the dangerous Beitbridge-Harare-Chirundu Highway.