Matheus Hamutenya
KOËS – Keetmanshoop Rural Constituency Councillor Elias !Kharuxab is disturbed by drug activities in his area saying school learners are being turned into drug dealers.
In an interview with New Era, a worried !Kharuxab said that he was made aware during community meetings, that many school learners especially at Koës and Aroab are being used by drug dealers in their illegal dealings, and this he said exposes these teenagers to drugs, which they end up using themselves.
He said the use of drugs amongst the youth is a problem in his constituency, adding that while the drug dealers get an income through their illegal businesses, the future of many young people is being destroyed.
“The biggest problem I learned from the community is that school children are drug dealers, they spend most of their time involved in these illegal activities and they do not have time to concentrate on their school work,” he said.
He said, while he understands the reasons that might push young people into illegal dealings, he does not condone any illegal activities, and he blamed parents for the actions of their children, saying some parents are not doing enough for their children’s welfare.
“I have observed and learnt that most of our parents do not take responsibility of their children, these children start smoking at six and seven years of age, and they are exposed to drugs, and this must come to an end,” further elaborated the councillor.
The outspoken councillor said that parents need to get their acts together, and take full responsibility of their children, so that they can focus solely on their school work, which will open many doors for them, saying without an educated people will remain poor.
“We must make sure our children study hard, if not we will keep on crying that people are coming to take our jobs, and poverty will always be in our households,” he stated.
He also shared with New Era that there are plans to have an operation, where all school learners found roaming around the streets late at night will be taken to the police station, so that their parents can explain why their children were out in the streets late at night before taking them home.