Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
BEITBRIDGE District has stepped up efforts to combat drug and substance abuse through coordinated interventions targeting prevention, rehabilitation and youth empowerment, with authorities reporting progress in vocational training and community awareness programmes.
The border town is particularly vulnerable to drug trafficking because of its location along the North-South Corridor, with security agencies identifying it as a transit point for drugs, unregistered medicines and other illicit substances destined for local and regional markets.
The district’s response came under scrutiny this week when a team from the Office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland South visited on Thursday to assess the work of the District Drug and Substance Abuse Committee, which was activated last year.
Acting Director for Coordination in the Minister of State’s office, Ms Sikhangezile Ndlovu, said the committee was making progress through collaboration among its various pillars.
“We had a successful meeting. We got reports from the different pillars. This committee is really doing well. All the pillars are working hand in glove. More activities are being done to try and reduce this scourge,” she said.
Ms Ndlovu said youth empowerment initiatives, including vocational skills training, poultry projects and links with EmpowerBank, were helping provide alternative livelihoods for young people at risk of drug abuse.
She cited the example of 21-year-old Tinashe Saunyama, a former drug user who has since received assistance to establish a project and become self-reliant.
“He was into drugs; now the district helped him. He is now doing a project to support himself, and he doesn’t want to go back to abusing drugs,” she said.
However, Ms Ndlovu said the resource mobilisation pillar needed strengthening, particularly to secure fuel and support outreach programmes across all wards.
Giving an update on demand reduction initiatives, pillar chairperson Mr Stanley Moyo said various youth programmes had been implemented since January 2026.
He said five youths had accessed EmpowerBank funding, while 30 had received green jobs training, 60 had been trained in digital skills, 310 in financial literacy in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and 30 in climate change.
“The Ministry is also set to partner with Save the Children International on green jobs. A total of 334 youths were enrolled in vocational centres, including Beitbridge VTC (26), Lutumba VTC (88), Far North (30), Teez Academy (12) and Young Africa Zimbabwe (178),” said Mr Moyo.
He said 136 youths had undergone Youth Service in Zimbabwe training at Dadaya, Vumba, Guyu and Mashayamombe, while two youth innovation hubs had been established with support from the Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund (ZRBF) and Young Africa Zimbabwe.
In schools, drug awareness campaigns led by junior councillors and junior parliamentarians had reached 19 secondary schools and all primary schools in the district, he said.
Young Africa Zimbabwe (YAZ), which is implementing the Skills for Youth Resilience Programme following the Skills2Live-KNB project with IOM, had enrolled 430 vulnerable youths, including migrants, sex workers, young mothers and drug abuse survivors.
Mr Moyo said 401 participants graduated in February after training in 11 trades, including baking, beauty therapy, welding, food preparation, hairdressing and solar technology.
According to YAZ, 64 percent of tracked graduates were economically active, earning between R1 580 and R10 000 or US$143 and US$600 per month.
Chairperson of the Harm Reduction Pillar, Dr Lenos Samhere, said Beitbridge District Hospital had recorded 47 drug and substance-related cases since January, including 13 linked to alcohol abuse.
“Thirty-two were admitted and managed; two in worse condition were referred to Ngomahuru and Ingutsheni. Twenty-five percent were alcohol-related, 72 percent other substances and 68 percent required admission,” he said.
Dr Samhere said challenges included patients providing incorrect addresses, relapsing, absconding from treatment and under-reporting cases because of stigma.
Meanwhile, Community Reintegration Pillar chairperson Ms Sithembiso Nhanga of the Department of Social Development said the department had conducted individual and family counselling sessions, as well as home visits.
Of eight cases referred from the provincial hospital, one patient had died, three had provided incorrect addresses and four had been reached, she said.
School awareness programmes had reached 12 schools and 7 126 people, surpassing the target of 5 000.
The Information and Media Pillar, led by Miss Hazel Vundla, said media houses, including community radio station Lotsha FM, had been enlisted to spread awareness at public gatherings.
These included NASSAF, PASSAF and the Tshitaudze Heritage Festival held at Mpande, which reached more than 1 900 people.
