Apt parenting, education, more jobs can curb crime

Youth gangs terrorised several Dar es Salaam neighbourhoods for over a month, until 149 of them got arrested following a coordinated police swoop that climaxed at the weekend. We are talking about the notorious outfit of youngsters calling themselves “Panya Road”.

The ragtag army of boys with bases in Dar es Salaam’s suburbs of Jangawani, Mabibo, Kigogo and Tabata have been operating, at times in broad daylight, moving in huge groups and causing mayhem in their wake. Questions were being asked: Where are the police? Are they working at the behest of some politicians bent on making the city ungovernable?

The boys displayed impunity like they feared no one. Hence, people were right to ask: where is our government, the protector of individuals and their properties?

Let us hope we have heard the last of these thugs. We, however, hasten to caution that we shouldn’t be complacent, just because 150 misguided youths have been arrested. Lest we forget, Dar es Salaam had in the past contended with a similar outfit that had christened itself “Mbwa Mwitu”. This gang was soon subdued, but just before long, Panya Road emerged.

So, what is our position? We believe that Mbwa Mwitu, Panya Road and such other criminal bands are a product of our own society, a society that is failing to nurture a sizeable number of its young into responsible citizens. More and more of today’s parents are too busy pursuing career success, wealth and in some cases, simply ensuring there is food on the table. They is hardly any time set aside during which we check out our children’s conduct.

It is no wonder preliminary police report indicates that most of the Panya Road suspects are jobless drug addicts aged between 16 and 20. Only better parenting, better education and more job creation will forestall the creation of “Panya Road” kind of youth in our country.