Op-ed by Nigel Pfunde
The Zimbabwe’s justice system is once again under the microscope after the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) issued a damage control statement over the shocking treatment of nine Chinese nationals caught abusing cocaine.
The foreigners who admitted guilt, walked away without jail time and the lenient ruling sparked fury across the country.
Ironically, instead of explaining why such a light sentence was handed down in the middle of a government anti-drug blitz, the NPAZ is now scrambling to convince the public it is “serious” about fighting drugs.
The NPAZ statement partly reads:
“The nine individuals are currently awaiting deportation”.
NPAZ is at straws to paint the move as tough action but the reality is that the so called deportation is nothing more than a free ticket home and a slap in the face to Zimbabwean youths who are being thrown behind bars for far less.
Infact it is my humble opinion that the NPAZ is trying to fool the public into believing that justice was served.
If it was local youths, they would be rotting in Chikurubi!
In further insulting our intelligence, the NPAZ promised that prosecutors would “prefer the correct charges” and “push for stiffer sentences in future”
But it is clear as pie stuff that the law cannot be applied in retrospect .
You can never beautify a frog and the seemingly tough talk by NPA is nothing more than an admission that prosecutors bungled the case and bowed to outside influence.
The streets continue to be flooded with drugs and ordinary citizens mostly poor youths are the ones paying the price in long sentences .
Of course drugs are bad just like the gun culture that is slowly permeating into our society but I must hasten to say like rapper DMX touted in the movie Romeo Must Die “guns don’t kill people” but people kill people just like the rich people behind supplying the drugs!
Some of them even occupy high political office and that is an open secret!
When it comes to drugs, justice in Zimbabwe depends on who you are and where you come from- simple!
Last week Defence minister and Zanu PF chairperson Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri made an emotional call for a Statutory Instrument that will impose stiffer penalties to drug abusers.
She proposed 15 years in college.
She said parents are now even afraid of their children who can do anything under the influence.
