Zambia: Residents of Mawaya Compound in Zimba District have come forward to share their grievances on the issue of junkies. The Zimba District, which is a part of the Southern Province, has been affected by the crisis for a long time.
The people in the community have shared that they are allegedly living in fear due to attacks by a gang of unscrupulous youths. These junkies have made the communities fear for the safety of themselves and their families.
The residents have indicated that these out of control youngsters were known to attack approximately from the evening to around 02:00 hours. The offenders are aged between 12 to 30.
One of the residents, Trevour Nswana, came forward and spoke to the media. He clarified that locals in the area face attacks frequently. He added that the criminals take away property like phones and money from the people of the community.
Mr Nswana informed the media that the attackers are almost always carrying various types of weapons. These weapons can hurt people of the country in a permanent sense.
The residents of the country have shared that there is no way of knowing what the next actions of these criminals will be. They can hurt anyone in their quest for money and valuables.
Another resident, James Ng’andu, has asked the police officers in the community to enhance night patrols. This will help in preventing attacks and help them move more freely.
He said power outages are also one of the major reasons for these attacks. The outages give the junkies opportunity to attack the innocent.
The authorities have been urged to increase police patrols in the area to prevent these incidents. the government has shared that they have been recieving reports of junky terror in the region.
Many people have come forward and reached out to the government of Zambia from various parts of the country. The adminstration has accordingly confirmed that they are working to address the issue.
The days of junkies terror are limited now, said the district administration.