In a disturbing turn of events, the Zimbabwean police have identified two of the ten minors captured on video consuming beer in central Harare on Christmas Day.
The minors, aged 11 and 13, have been located, and their parents have been identified, according to a statement released by Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the national police spokesperson.
It has been revealed that the two minors had been under the custody of their mother in the Epworth area of Harare since their parents’ separation in November 2022. However, they subsequently left home and became involved in street begging, vending, and engaging in misdemeanours with other street children in the bustling Harare central business district.
The unfortunate incident occurred on December 25, 2023, when the two minors, accompanied by eight other street kids, managed to obtain Mayfair alcohol through an unidentified individual. Unfazed by the public setting, the minors openly consumed the alcohol while sitting on the veranda of a cellphone shop along Innez Terrace, near a prominent food outlet.
Assistant Commissioner Nyathi further disclosed that the police have identified a local businessperson who recorded the video that went viral on social media. The individual is currently assisting the police in providing a comprehensive account of the incident. However, law enforcement agencies are still working to identify the remaining minors involved in the incident.
“The father and mother separated in November 2022, with the two minors being taken into the custody of their mother in Epworth area, Harare. It is alleged that they later left home and engaged in street begging, vending and some misdemeanours in Harare central business district with other street kids,” he said.
“On December 25, 2023, the two minors who were in the company of eight street kids obtained Mayfair alcohol through a person who is yet to be identified by the police.
“The minors sat on the veranda of a cellphone shop along Innez Terrace near a prominent food outlet. They consumed the alcohol openly in public.”
