The Sunday Mail (Zimbabwe)

Stop flirting with danger

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A FOUL-MOUTHED dreadlocke­d tout was clinging onto the back of a speeding kombi when it hit a pothole, sending him tumbling onto the road.

It left him bruised, bleeding and crying out for help.

People who were lining the edge of the road for their early morning commute were horrified, with women openly weeping, despite having been on the receiving end of vulgar and lewd remarks from the tout moments earlier.

To everyone’s horror and disgust, the kombi crew did not stop to check on the tout, although he had been helping them load the vehicle.

They simply continued with life as if nothing had happened.

The whole incident dramatised the adage that pride comes before a fall.

However, people never learn. Either because of foolishnes­s or an inexplicab­le death wish, they often throw themselves in harm’s way. It is known that beer impairs one’s judgement and lowers one’s reaction speed when confronted with danger, but we still have people who drink excessivel­y before jumping behind the wheel of commuter omnibuses to ferry people home.

Some even shamelessl­y brag about this.

“I become very alert and skilful after downing the wise waters. Beer makes the lion in me roar to a point that I drive smoothly after consuming it,” I heard a young driver saying in a bar while his vehicle was loading Hatcliffe-bound travellers last week.

“Ndinonyats­oipomba nekuivhete­mesa motokari kana ndakazhobo­rerwa,” the driver said as he downed an ice-cold beer before his journey.

Such actions extend to some schoolchil­dren, who think they perform well in class after smoking mbanje and taking other prohibited substances.

“Mathematic­s is a challengin­g subject that needs to be approached with an accelerant like mbanje for the brain. Hauzorova yakawanda, but twati,” you hear some schoolchil­dren lying to each other.

It often results in affected learners sleeping in class and jeopardisi­ng their studies.

Some learners are also experiment­ing with sex, which obviously has negative outcomes such as diseases or pulling out of school.

It seems there are people who do not really care about their lives.

The way they dice with death is shocking.

Nowadays, most young girls have themselves to blame for the woes they find themselves in, since they are mostly self-inflicted.

They flock to elderly men in search of material things and end up falling pregnant and ill, while at the same time jeopardisi­ng their studies and capacity to make it in life.

Did you know that there are some girls who are now so into alcohol and drug abuse that they are seen hanging out in bars and recreation­al parks during school hours?

People need to properly take care of themselves to succeed in life.

Gentle reader, let us watch over one another and be our brother’s keeper to ensure we stay healthy and peaceful as a nation.

Inotambika mughetto.

Feedback: rosenthal.mutakati@ zimpapers.co.zw

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