Fight against drug and substance abuse awakens the musician in Rusenza

By Chris Mahove

Harare- THE 50-year-old Nathan Rusenza, an Arts and Culture Officer for Mazowe District with the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture, music has always been a passion, which sadly was stifled by the archaic belief that music was for wayward individuals who had no direction nor purpose in life.

Spirited discouragement from his parents made him almost totally forget about music, instead concentrating on his academic studies, although at the back of his mind, the shadow of his musician character kept lingering.

“I have always wanted to be a musician since I was young, but I was discouraged by my parents from pursuing it as it was regarded as a profession of vagabonds.They encouraged me to take the academic route. When I was doing form three , I started writing songs but the songs have never seen the light of the day.I totally forgot about music and focused on other things,” Rusenza recounted.

But the reality of youths and young adults whose lives have been ravaged by drug and substance abuse he meets with during the course of his duty in the Mazowe District and surrounding communities where he is deployed made him think again about his music passion, with a strong conviction that it would help spread the message about the dangers associated with the vice.

“I have been doing a lot of drug and substance awareness campaigns for the past three years and I realized the absence of music with rich content on the subject.Initially, I approached I few Zimdancehall artists with the idea but I wasn’t impressed by the products that they came up with, so I decided to delve into the field myself,” he said.

Rusenza said this was when he decided to pen a song on drugs and substance abuse and sing it as a way of reaching a wider audience with the anti-drug and substance abuse message as music transcended geographical boundaries.

“The song on drug is my first music recording and I wanted to have a one off production but the way it was received has prompted me to do more songs.So far I have released four songs,” Rusenza explained.

In his song, Rusenza touches on how drugs destroy lives and emphasises the need for youths and young adults to avoid the vice. He also mentions the most commonly used drugs and substances and goes on to suggest solutions to the scourge, which has not only destroyed young lives, but also has damaging ramifications on the country’s economy.

“ I think the issue of drug and substance abuse needs a multifaceted approach, with everyone putting their hands on the deck.I believe if the supply side of drugs is busted, we can easily end the problem,”

Rusenza said awareness campaigns should also go to every corner of the country, leaving no one and no place behind.

“Those selling these illicit drugs should be given stiffer sentences as a way of deterring other would be peddlers from venturing into the business,”

Peer pressure, Rusenza noted, was the biggest driver of drug and substance abuse figures among the youths in Zimbabwe.

Rusenza has also released another song on Gender Based Violence (GBV), his fourth song so far, whose message is aimed at reducing cases of the vice, which have increased drastically in the past few years.

“Although the two issues of drug and substance abuse and GBV have not directly affected me, I have witnessed close relatives and young people that I mix with in my community and at in my official duty as a civil servant have pushed me to want to also play a part through my music while at the same time fulfilling my dreams of one day making some music,”

Rusenza did two of his other songs with his two daughters, whom he hope to nurture from a young age and carve a musical career for their future.

“I have done songs with my two daughters, one doing form 4 and the other one doing form one.I have done just a single song with the one doing her O’ Levels as I don’t want to disturb her studies hence the form one girl has featured more although both have good voices. I am trying to nurture them to become good musicians in their own right. According to studies, drug and substance abuse continues to be on the rise in Zimbabwe and is more prevalent in urban areas.

However, despite growing evidence that drug and substance abuse are on the increase especially among young people, there is little being done in terms of interventions conducted by the government and its partners to reduce drug and substance abuse among the youth.

The vice has become a growing threat to the country’s health, security, economic as well as social stability.

In April 2024, Cabinet approved the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan 2024-2030 which provides strategic direction to the country’s response to the drug and substance abuse challenge and ensures that all communities, families and individuals are fully supported as the country moves towards Vision 2030 .