For the past seven years, Bekithemba Mhlanga (27) of Luveve
suburb has been hooked on heroin, among other drugs, and recently escaped
Ingutsheni Central Hospital, leaving his parents with no option but to keep him
chained.
Bekithemba left Zimbabwe for South Africa to live with his
sister in Cape Town in 2014 after he had finished his Ordinary Levels. Back
home he had been a responsible child and his parents suspect that he was
introduced to drugs in the neighbouring country resulting in his brother-in-law
sending him back to Zimbabwe after he attempted to stab him.
After returning home in 2016, he has continued abusing
glue, “some materials from light bulbs”, marijuana, and heroin.
He is now open about his addiction as he demands that his
parents give him US$3 daily to buy drugs in Gwabalanda at a drug haven called
“koSaNe”.
If they do not give him the US$3, he forcibly takes the
money.
When a Chronicle news crew visited the family, Bekithemba’s
mother, Mrs Sithembeni Mhlanga (53), said her son was a vision-oriented man
before becoming a heroin addict in South Africa, ruining his life.
Unfortunately, drug dealers in Bulawayo continue to feed his addiction.
Mrs Mhlanga said Bekithemba grew up in Emakhandeni suburb
under the custody of his grandmother who passed away in 2015.
“Bekithemba did his primary and secondary education in
Luveve primary and Emakhandeni secondary schools, respectively.
He finished his Ordinary Level studies and went to South
Africa, Cape Town, in 2014 where he worked at a bakery up to early 2016,” she said.
Mrs Mhlanga said her son was reportedly compelled to return
to Zimbabwe in March 2017 after he started physically abusing people, including
his relatives in South Africa.
In the same year he returned to Zimbabwe, Bekithemba reportedly
began operating as a pirate kombi driver up until July last year.
“He first resided in my mother’s home in Emakhandeni
suburb, but last year, around July, he abruptly stopped pirating. Then, we got
word from his neighbours that we should be on the lookout because they
suspected he was drug dealing.
“We quickly took him to stay with us and found lodgers for
the home. Around August/September, Bekithemba began to eat substantial meals by
himself. He would prepare dinner for himself and set it on a platter before
poking a hole in his sadza and inserting his relish. When his father asked why
he was eating lots of meals and other treats that I was selling at my vending
business, he became aggressive and threatened to beat him up,” she said.
The woman, who had to shut down her vending business, said
despite their suspicions that Bekithemba was taking drugs due to his
aggression, they did make much of it because their other two children had never
had a drug history problem.
“Alone, he could laugh. He would occasionally simply start
weeping while we were all sitting in the lounge and tell us that someone was
trying to break into our house by opening the asbestos roof. We were
astonished. Our neighbours told us that he might have been taking drugs,” Mrs Mhlanga
said.
Bekithemba’s father, Mr Aron Mhlanga, said despite their
efforts to secure the house with solid locks, he consistently breaks windows
and doors to gain access and steal.
In November last year, Mr Mhlanga said they took their son
to Mpilo Central Hospital where they were told that he was a heroin addict and
referred to Ingutsheni Central Hospital.
Bekithemba stayed for two weeks at the hospital and he was
released. Once he got home, he resumed his abusive behaviour.
He also started refusing to sleep in his bedroom, saying it
needed to be cleansed.
“On one occasion we were at a funeral on Christmas Eve at a
house in this neighbourhood, and when we got home the next morning,
Bekithemba’s little sister was trembling.
She said Bekithemba claimed to be creating firecrackers as
he threw beer and Coca-Cola bottles at the door of our main bedroom. When I
questioned him about breaking our door and windows, he beat me up and his
mother and vowed to kill us,” said Mr Mhlanga.
“From there onwards, Themba became extremely aggressive,
and we are unable to speak to him since he hits us. We calmly paid someone to
repair the damaged windows and doors.
“This time around he would steal our clothes, and kitchen
utensils and sell them to some people in Emakhandeni, at an area popularly
known as koWozawoza. He would order us to give him US$3 every day to buy his
drugs at a place called koSaNe in Gwabalanda suburb.”
A Chronicle edition of December 2 last year exposed drug
havens in the city named KoSaNe as one of the go-to places for drug addicts. Mr
Mhlanga said he wonders why the Gwabalanda drug supplier seems to be
untouchable.
He said his son once assaulted his younger sister, who is
in Form Two and robbed her of cash for her school transportation.
In January this year, Mr Mhlanga said they returned to
Ingutsheni to report that Bekithemba’s mental health was deteriorating.
This was after he took his son to traditional healers and
psychologists, to no avail.
“We were instructed to bring him back and we did so.
However, he ran away from Ingutsheni, so we surrendered and called on
neighbours, and we chained him to a window since he has grown too vicious,” Mr
Mhlanga said.
Mr Mhlanga is appealing for financial assistance and
information on private rehabilitation centres where he can take his son. He can
be reached on 0776774003. Chronicle
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