By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
HARARE – The Heal Us Zimbabwe walkathon team completed its gruelling 580-kilometre journey from Beitbridge to Harare on Wednesday, receiving a heroes’ welcome from sponsors NetOne at Africa Unity Square in the heart of the capital.
The three young men – Columbus Tapiwa Mushore, Terrence Shenje, and Kudakwashe Mafuta – arrived to cheers and applause after 18 days on the road, their feet sore but their spirits unbroken.
What began as a dream on 27 June concluded in a moment of triumph on 15 July, as the reformed former drug users proved that recovery is possible and that those who have walked the darkest paths can emerge as the brightest guides.
The road from Beitbridge to Harare stretches for nearly 580 kilometres – a gruelling test of endurance under the Zimbabwean sun. But for these three young men, every step carried a weight far heavier than the physical distance.
It was a journey from the depths of addiction to the frontline of a national fight, a pilgrimage of redemption walked so that others might find their way back from the brink.
Their mission, dubbed “Together We Rise, United We Heal,” was more than an awareness campaign. It was a powerful demonstration that recovery is possible, and that those who have walked the darkest paths can emerge as the brightest guides.
The walkathon was designed to engage communities, schools, and youth centres along the route, spreading a message that resonates deeply in a nation grappling with a drug crisis of alarming proportions.
From the Ghetto to a Path of Purpose
For Terrence Shenje, 22, the journey is intensely personal. A former student at the prestigious Churchill High School, his promising football career was derailed by addiction that began when he was just 17.
“Coming from the ghetto, I succumbed to peer pressure,” he recounted, his story a stark warning to other young people. He is now part of a team of drug survivors walking a symbolic distance representing the arduous journey from addiction to recovery.
The team’s leader, Columbus Mushore, founder of Heal Us Zimbabwe, speaks with the clarity of lived experience.
He revealed that a divine revelation spurred him to action after a dream told him to “walk from Beitbridge to Harare to spread awareness and fight against drug and substance abuse.”
His call to action is direct: “We have the experience as rehabilitated drug abusers and we want to use our experience to discourage other Zimbabweans, especially youngsters from getting into untoward behaviour.”
Kudakwashe Mafuta, another walker, began using marijuana (mbanje) during his form three years and only quit in late 2020 after developing kidney and lung problems.
He says the walk has opened his eyes to the scale of the problem, noting that the issue is not confined to urban areas. “On the way from Beitbridge, we realised that the issue of drugs and substance abuse is not only rampant in urban areas but rural areas as well. Young people are now using various drugs that I am not even familiar with,” he said.
More Than a Walk: A Mobile Awareness Campaign
The journey was structured as a mobile campaign of hope. The walkers covered approximately 25 kilometres each day, stopping at business centres, schools, and villages to share their testimonies and hold discussions with residents.
They engaged with pupils, waved down motorists, and spoke to villagers, reminding communities that addiction is not a distant problem but one that lives among them. Counsellors were also on hand to offer support to families seeking help.
A Warm Welcome at Africa Unity Square
Upon arrival at Africa Unity Square, the team was warmly received by NetOne officials, government representatives, and well-wishers who had gathered to celebrate their remarkable achievement.
The state-owned mobile network operator served as a key partner, providing essential support that brought the campaign to life.
Thamsanqa Luphahla, NetOne’s Public Relations Officer, said the mobile company was a sustainable partner for development for the government of Zimbabwe.
“So, the issue of drugs is something that is very key and that is important for the economy because it affects a lot of sectors within the economy. For example, it affects health itself, it affects education, it affects all other sectors of the economy,” Luphahla explained.
“So, as NetOne, as we partner with the government, as we look into Vision 2030, we need to make sure that our communities are healthy, our communities are well taken care of because we are not just a commercial entity, but we are also a partner that needs to make sure that the community is well. Because these are the people that are our customers. So, if they are not well, then we don’t have customers.
“So, we need also to plough back into the community. So, this is why we did what we did. We always support this anti-drug initiative and all other initiatives that uplift our communities.”
Building a Legacy of Hope
The long-term ambition of the walkathon is to move beyond awareness and build tangible solutions.
Organisers are hoping to raise funds and mobilise support to establish drug rehabilitation centres that will offer free services to those battling addiction. A previous walkathon in 2024, from Plumtree to Harare, laid the groundwork, and the current walk is a continuation of that effort.
As they walked, the men issued a simple but urgent plea: to create a social contract to effectively do away with drug abuse and the drug peddlers destroying a generation.
Their journey stands as a testament to the power of redemption and the critical role that corporate citizens like NetOne must play in building a healthier, more prosperous Zimbabwe.
About Author
