Online Reporter
By Dr Matthew Mare
On May 25, 2025, Africa celebrated Africa Day and commemorated the founding of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) on the same date in 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It was a milestone achievement by the nationalists who had a special determination to see the entire Africa free from any form of captivity.
It was Africa’s moment of self-determination when nationalists mobilised to liberate the continent.
To date, we have black billionaires, and very prosperous black-led churches, most of whom have never supported any nationalist.
These nationalists fought the liberation struggle because they envisaged an Africa where citizens have total control of their lives. I don’t think they fought to see a continent of drug peddlers and drug and substance abusers who are committing all sorts of crimes against their kinsmen.
If the liberators and the nationalists were to rise today, they would die from heart attack after seeing a wretched society where the young generation, who are supposed to carry the liberation history forward, abusing drugs and wasting away.
It is time for self-introspection and seeking the inner soul as a continent.
National budgets world over are bloated and eschewed towards drug and substance abuse mitigation.
This culture is very unAfrican and must never be condoned.
Once this dangerous scourge penetrates critical pillars of the state like security, legislature and the executive, then we are doomed. In future, we might see doctors, judges and heads of states failing to report for work because of intoxication.
Even at household level, would anyone be happy to have children who are under the influence of drugs? This is a hybrid warfare and the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security must consider this a latent threat, a serious one to peace and security.
Families no longer have meaningful conversations because of the drug and substance abuse.
Many marriages have collapsed due to the violent nature of drug users.
Accidents continue to claim lives as some public transport drivers resort to drugs to extend their wakeful hours to meet targets.
Most kombi drivers wake up 4am and sleep after midnight and hard drugs help them to stay awake, but impair their judgment.
As a continent have we asked ourselves why road carnage has suddenly surged? Drug and substance abuse has serious bipolar effects with fatal outcomes to the point that nobody will be safe in society.
For the love of money, we are destroying our own brothers and sisters, hence the need to have a serious mindset shift and behaviour change.
In the Arab world, all drug peddlers are eliminated and Africa is now the new battlefield for drug peddlers and consumers.
If authorities are not seeing this scourge as warfare, then our leaders must rethink and reflect on the impact.
This is warfare that Africa must rise to, otherwise there will not be much development by a society in a stupor .
Streets are no longer safe, and crime rates have alarmingly increased.
Women are soft targets of glue sniffers who snatch handbags and wigs to trade-in for more intoxicants.
We can’t have a continent where our women and the girl child are no longer feel safe or walk freely in the central business district.
The reason why people now flock to Dubai and Zanzibar is because they are free from the drug abusers.
If Dubai had street hooligans people would not go there for holidays or shopping.
We are killing our own tourism business because of drug and substance abusers who end up engaging in petty crimes that deter tourists.
If South Africa was a crime-free country, it would have been the hub of tourism in Africa.
Drugs and crime kill the image of a state, hence it’s a threat to sovereignty and the dignity of a state.
Have policy makers imagined what kind of society Africa will be due to drug and substance use, say in 10 years time?
If the continent is to remain dignified, there is need to brace for this hybrid and cognitive warfare.
We have laws and systems in place, but why is the threat increasing on daily basis?
Most of these drugs and substances are not being manufactured locally, but pass through the ports of entry.
Until we collectively agree that drug and substance abuse is a menace to the continent and society as a whole, we will never win the battle.
Ending irresponsible drug use must be a collective effort because the effects do not respect any boundaries.
We all need to sit down and reflect on our actions and ask ourselves, what are we doing towards a better Africa?
President Mnangagwa’s developmental philosophy that, nyika inovakwa nevene vayo can be extended to Africa inovakwa nevene vayo.
In this case, the African Union must convene a meeting specifically to discuss for drug and substance abuse so this generation is saved.
The more we delay, the more it becomes costly to eradicate the menace.
