shloboe boe
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
MS Sipho Mazibuko, a prominent figure in Bulawayo’s social scene, a successful businesswoman, former model and a passionate advocate for mental health, faced unexpected resistance when she planned to send her children to live with their grandmother in the United Kingdom. Her own mother, a resident of the UK for the past 25 years, vehemently opposed the move, citing concerns about the potential negative impact of “Western culture” on her grandchildren.
She feared the children would lose their moral compass irrevocably.
This “upsetting” family dilemma has been tragically underscored by the recent case of Colin Chabikwa, a 15-year-old Zimbabwean boy wanted for murder in the UK. Chabikwa and Mosawar Zazi (16) are sought by London detectives in connection with the brutal attack of a 14-year-old boy on a double-decker bus on January 7. The horrific incident has ignited a heated debate within the Zimbabwean community about the most conducive environment for raising children in today’s complex world.
“My mother moved to the UK in the year 2000 and some years later, I expressed my desire to relocate my children to Europe. Her response was quite shocking. She strongly advised against the move, citing concerns about the potential negative impact of UK culture on my children,” recounted Ms Mazibuko in a brief interview.
Ms Mazibuko’s mother was particularly concerned about the UK’s laws against corporal punishment, both at home and at school, fearing this might render her grandchildren “ungovernable.”
“Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for my mother’s advice. Imagine a child in the UK accusing their parents of abuse simply for administering appropriate discipline. The recent news reports about the 15-year-old boy wanted for murder in London are truly heart-breaking for Zimbabwean parents,” said Ms Mazibuko.
The tragic case of Chabikwa has sparked a heated debate among Zimbabwean parents regarding the issue of the most suitable environment for raising children — the UK versus Zimbabwe. Many parents express concerns about the challenge of bad behaviour among children raised in the UK, citing a perceived lack of respect for authority including parents and teachers.
Sanelisiwe Mpala, a resident of Nkulumane suburb, shared her experience on Facebook, recounting how she welcomed her sister’s son back to Zimbabwe as a form of corrective measure. The teenager, exhibiting increasingly unruly behaviour at home and school in Coventry City, was sent back to Zimbabwe by his mother as a means of addressing his escalating behavioural issues.
“I enrolled my sister’s son in a boarding school after she brought him back from the UK. He was associating with the wrong crowd, engaging in schoolyard fights, and my sister was deeply concerned about his escalating behaviour.
“He has adjusted well to his new school environment, and I believe returning to Zimbabwe was the best decision for him,” said Mpala.
Last November, a 13-year-old boy in the UK took his parents to court for bringing him back to Zimbabwe and enrolling him in a boarding school, claiming they had “physically and emotionally abandoned” him.
The parents argued that their son was vulnerable to exploitation by criminal gangs in London, citing photographs found in his room that depicted him posing with knives and other dangerous weapons.
For parents who have experienced life in both Zimbabwe and the UK, there is a strong belief that the stricter disciplinary measures in Zimbabwe foster a greater sense of responsibility and respect for authority.
Ms Mazibuko firmly believes in the importance of appropriate discipline.
“Children must be disciplined when they misbehave. I am reminded of the Luveve woman who was arrested for disciplining a group of teenagers, including her own son after discovering them consuming alcohol. The adage ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ still holds true.”
Other parents share this sentiment, believing that children raised in Zimbabwe tend to develop a stronger moral compass and a deeper respect for parents, teachers and other elders.
“I have friends who joined their parents in the UK after completing their education and they remain grounded and well-adjusted individuals. Stories of their involvement in drugs or criminal gangs are rare,” said Ashley Phiri
Recent reports of an investigation by a UK newspaper revealing that drug cartels are exploiting migrant children as foot soldiers in Europe’s burgeoning cocaine trade have further fuelled concerns about the dangers facing Zimbabwean children in the diaspora.
The investigation uncovered evidence that hundreds of unaccompanied child migrants across Europe are being coerced into working for powerful drug cartels, contributing to the continent’s rapidly expanding £10-billion cocaine market.
EU police forces have issued warnings about the industrial-scale exploitation of African children by these cocaine networks operating in major European cities such as Paris and Brussels.
