Say no to violence, youths told

THE judiciary in Ndola handled 235 cases of drug trafficking last year, says Ndola

High Court Mumba. Judge Davis

Mr Justice Mumba, who is also Lions Club Second vice president, said out of the 235 cases, 228 involved marijuana representing 97 percent of the cases while five cases involved mirah at 2.1 percent and two cocaine cases at 0.9 percent.

He said most of the cases involved youths who included some pupils from various schools in the city.

Mr Justice Mumba was speaking during a youth outreach programme hosted by the Lions Club of Kansenshi in conjunction with the Ministry of Education and Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) at Ndola Trust School. He indicated that drug and alcohol abuse among the young people had risen to unprecedented levels all over the world.

He said the young needed to understand that indulging in drugs which had not been prescribed for any illness would result in addiction.

Drug addiction, he noted could destroy their minds and body which would make their future bleak.

And Ndola DEC Education and Counselling Department Programme Officer, Nancy Zembe, said 871 people had been arrested for drug related offenses in 2019. Ms Zembe stated that from the 871 individuals, 130 of them were juveniles, 124 male and six females with some of them being taken for rehabilitation. She said drug abuse had increased over the years with cannabis being the most abused drug among many others.

She also stated that the seized quantity of drugs from the 871 arrests, were 785.3 kilogrammes of cannabis.

YOUTHS should say no to violence and instead demand to be used tools for national development, says Copperbelt Patriotic Front chairman, Nathan Chanda.

Mr Chanda said the youth should not accept to be used by individuals who were behind gassing but should instead promote national development.

He was speaking during an interactive meeting with the journalists at the PF provincial secretariat in Ndola.

He said most of the youthswho were being used as tools for violence were below 24 years.

Mr Chanda said no nation would develop without the active and positive input of youths, hence the need to nurture the young ones.

He also appealed to the media to promote peace and unity and shun promoting hate speech.

Mr Chanda, who is also Luanshya mayor, implored the church to continue taking centre stage in promoting unity and peace in the country.

He condemned mob justice which was taking place in some parts of the countr,y stating that Zambians should respect the rule of law and report their concerns to the [police.

He condemned UPND Choma Member of Parliament, Cornelius Mweetwa, for issuing a statement on Diamond Television which was disrespectful towards VicePresident Inonge Wina.

Mr Chanda demanded that Mr Mweetwa should apologise to the vice president for passing rude remarks about her.