Story by Lisa Masuku-Kurira
A 22-year-old man Bulawayo man, McMillan Zimunhu, has been arrested for allegedly stealing and squandering more than US$10 000 from his mother’s savings, gambling it away on the infamous Aviator game.
The incident has sparked concern among communities, with authorities warning that gambling, similar to drug and substance abuse, is increasingly emerging as a social challenge affecting families.
“On January 19, the complainant wanted to use the money her saved up money when she discovered that it was missing. A police report was made, and through investigations and interviews with the children, it was established that her second son took the money. He admitted to having used the money on gambling,” Bulawayo Provincial Police Spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said.
While the Bulawayo community is still trying to digest the matter, this is a clear case of a social ill that needs to be nipped in the bud.
For his mother, she laments the loss of 13 years of savings blown away in just minutes, and what is left are remnants of what could have been if it were not for the now infamous Aviator game.
