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Minors patronizing nightclubs in Zimbabwe
Tsungirirai Shoriwa, Child Protection Society (CPS)
April 01, 2004

The police rounded up all women they came across in the city of Harare during the evening, some among them minors and accused them of prostitution. Not a single male was arrested...

Drunkenness and sleeping in nightclubs is fast becoming an occupation for children, as towers of moral pride are swiftly turning into rubble; what could have happened to the Liquor Act!

The Act makes it an offence to allow children or any other person who is under the age of 18 to patronize nightclubs as this subjects them to a not so conducive environment for their upbringing and well-being. It is no longer a taboo for a 13-year-old boy or girl to be boozing and engaging in all sort of activities associated with clubbing.

A form 3 girl in one of Harare's private colleges said, "Clubbing is a religion like going to church you know, it relieves you of all the stress you go through during the course of the week, you dig what I'm saying."

All this is happening in full view of both the Zimbabwe Republic Police and the Harare City Council, which are the licensing authorities of these nightclubs. It seems both institutions are failing to put their house in order for the benefit of children and society in general. This situation calls for a permanent solution that can sustain the survival of society.

The council seem to be turning a blind eye to the case which may even rise to alarming levels if it continues unabated .The council must be seen out in full force in a bid to whip these club owners back on track.

Harare City Council spokesperson Mr. Leslie Gwindi said the council has an obligation to make sure that these club owners comply with the law and any club owner caught on the wrong side of the law will have his operating license withdrawn.

However, he could not shed light on the actual number of cases where they have revoked the operating licenses of club owners that are perpetuating the social rot that is threatening society's continuity. The prevalence of the social decadence is worrying!

The African culture, like most civilizations, forbids the practice of beer drinking by minors and reserves the right and accountability for the actions under the influence of alcohol to adults. The culture associates beer drinking and club patronizing with loose morals hence the places are not conducive to the upbringing of children.

Child Protection Society Advocacy Manager, Sibusisiwe Bhebhe said the exposure of children to club environments is a clear violation of the children's right to protection from indecent exposure. She believes minors frequenting these clubs are more susceptible to HIV/AIDS among other Sexually Transmitted Infections since some of them end up engaging in unprotected sex usually under the influence of alcohol.

She said it was worrying that law enforcement agents were not taking any stiffer measures against the club owners found on the wrong side of the law. Last month the police, in an operation dubbed "Restore Sanity" rounded up some women in central Harare and charged them for loitering for the purpose of prostitution and among them were minors as young as 16. The police charged the minors but failed to charge the owners of the clubs these minors patronize. Club owners retain a sense of security in practicing this crime and nothing seems to deter them from their comfort zones.

Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Wayne Bvudzijena, said the club owners who are allowing minors into their premises are putting their operating licenses at risk. "These people must be reminded that it is an offence to sell liquor to persons under the age of 18. Actually, they are putting their licenses at risk. We conducted some raids on these clubs last year and it proved effective, but if these children are back in the clubs then we need to re-launch our campaign."

He said last month when they rounded up women from the streets of Harare they did not charge club owners "because the women were rounded up in streets and not clubs, so we could not charge them for crimes committed outside their premises", he said.

There is a need to understand that children are human beings bound to be attracted by the activities in these clubs. Hence it is society's duty to ensure its young ones are protected from being initiated with these indecent experiences.

Club owners must be educated on the dangers of allowing minors into the clubs and if education fails to play a significant role, then prosecution must be resorted to as it takes longer to influence society.

Bhebhe said our government is a signatory to several conventions that are out to uphold the rights of the children. Zimbabwe is a signatory to the African Charter on Children's Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1990 and the law enforcement agents must be seen upholding these treaties.

In terms of these instruments, every child has the right to be loved and protected. Children must be protected from torture, child labour, drugs, cigarettes and alcohol.

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