Leadership Movement (LM) President Richard Silumbe says the continuous arrests of young criminals known as ‘junkies’ without rehabilitation and empowerment will turn them into hard-core criminals.
Dr. Silumbe has charged that all successive governments have had no progressive policy to tackle issues that compel young people to fall in the trap of drug abuse and vices that erode morals.
He says state-run farms by the Zambia National Service (ZNS) are a game changer for government to revive yester-years when the younger generation underwent mandatory lifelong skills training and produced good citizens.
Dr. Silumbe argues that while calls are more on a voluntary approach on the ZNS system, it must be expedited to curb the thuggery widely seen in places such as Lusaka that, if left unchecked, the growing numbers will increase criminality that will have irreparable consequences.
Since last year the Zambia Police Service has held joint security operations leading to several mass arrests of young men and women linked to gangs called Junkies that terrorize communities such as Kanyama, Matero, Mtendere, Zingalume among others.
By Tito Kalama