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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Beitbridge residents have called on investors to consider setting up rehabilitation facilities for those people addicted to drugs and substance abuse.
At the moment the town has no facilities to handle such people and most of these are being taken to other places in Harare and Bulawayo for assistance.
In addition, those getting help are doing so mostly at the intervention of concerned family members who are taking them to health institutions.
The most common abused drugs in Beitbridge include; crystal meth, droshky, chimusoja, cocaine, glue, bron-cleer and embalming powder.
Some common serious mental disorders associated with chronic drug abuse include; schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, manic depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), generalised anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and panic disorder among others.
Beitbridge East legislator Cde Albert Nguluvhe said the community was seriously concerned with the rampant cases of drug peddling in the border town.
The legislator said he has engaged the police and other community leaders to pool resources to fight the crime.
“The level of crime, especially domestic violence and the abuse of drugs, is a cause for concern and reducing such activities in the town requires local leaders to enter into a social contract with all role players,” he said.
“So, we have had with some local stakeholders, and agreed that while we fight this scourge of drugs peddling and abuse, we must also encourage some investor or those with financial muscle to set up at least one rehabilitation centre.
The facility will then cater for those people who are already affected and addicted to the use of drugs”.
He said some family members were incurring huge losses when they take their relatives for rehabilitation in other towns.
Cde Nguluvhe encouraged those with critical information concerning drug peddling should share with authorities so that the perpetrators of such crimes are brought to book.
He said in cases where there is rampant drug peddling there is bound to be an increase in violent turf wars and hence the need to arrest the situation in Beitbridge before it goes out of hand. Beitbridge Mayor, councillor Munyaradzi Chitsunge said it was critical for corporates to come to the party in the fight against drug peddling.
“There is more we could do together, lets pool resources and build a rehabilitation centre for the drug addicts while other systems are being put in place to eradicate this vice,” he said.
“It is disheartening to see the rate at which the youths are getting hooked to these dangerous substances”.
Mrs Babongile Gora who operates the only facility (Safe Haven) to assist victims of gender based and domestic violence said there was a need to have more of such institutions.
She said daily she was handling many cases of those seeking counselling on an array of issues including those with family members who are using drugs.
District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr Lenos Samhere said although it was difficult to come up with exact figures of drug addicts, the medical facility has been handling a relative number of patients.
“We are attending mostly to those being brought to us by their relatives. You will note that some victims are not willing to come seek help on their own. But definitely, we must have a rehabilitation facility so that such people may have the necessary assistance with the help of professionals,” said Dr Samhere.
Online Reporter