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A team of about 20 cyclists arrived in Chitungwiza this evening.
They left Bulawayo for a highway campaign against drug and substance abuse on Tuesday.
The team, composed of cyclists, the majority of them from Bulawayo and some from Midlands and South Africa, bicycle technicians, medical staff and other supporting staff, left Bulawayo on Tuesday for the awareness campaign connecting more than seven cities and towns along the way.
The cyclists, who are accompanied by Bulawayo South legislator who is also Industry and Commerce Deputy Minister Raj Modi, put up in Kwekwe on Tuesday night before re-embarking on their journey to the capital where they were expected to arrive yesterday.
Deputy Minister Modi told journalists in Kwekwe that the scourge needs everyone to play a role.
“After having discovered how much the drug and substance abuse scourge is affecting our communities, I then engaged the cyclists and decided we should raise awareness across the country. We then decided to ride from Bulawayo to Harare where we will be raising awareness about the scourge,” said Deputy Minister Modi.
He said along the way, they are using a mobile public address system to spread the message and distribute flyers while in Harare, they will embark on awareness campaigns in the capital before proceeding to Chitungwiza.
Lead cyclist Thomas Classen said the riders are drawn from across the country.
“Of course we have one who came from South Africa but the majority are from Bulawayo while some are from Gweru and Zvishavane. We are expecting to be in Harare later today. So far everything is going according to plan. There are no injuries and we look forward to rich Harare in one piece,” he said.
Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Owen Ncube who received the riders in Kwekwe said the campaign was in support of the government initiatives to end the scourge.
“This campaign marks the pinnacle of aggressive and collective strategies to curtail the emerging disaster of abuse of drugs as well as various substances that was started by His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa creating a cabinet committee to end the scourge which is threatening our social fabric, economic recovery and growth trajectory,” said Minister Ncube.
He said the campaign showed great commitment by fellow youths to fight against the scourge.
“To our revered cyclists, I wish to express my utmost appreciation towards your commitment to contribute towards the national cause of eliminating drug and substance abuse in our communities whose most affected group is our productive 12 to 35 year olds youths in and out of school and young adults,” he said.
Minister Ncube said the Midlands Province had identified some hotspots which the anti-drug team is now focusing on.
“The Midlands Province supply reduction pillar identified 35 drug and substance hotspots in five districts notably Gweru, Kwekwe, Mberengwa and Zvishavane. Subsequently, 60 raids were conducted while 10 drug bases were demolished. The drug and substance abuse awareness campaigns to primary and secondary schools and various communities across the province have also been upscaled,” he said.
Minister Ncube also commended Kwekwe City for establishing a rehabilitation centre, one of the first in the province.
“I wish to commend Kwekwe City for establishing a Drug rehabilitation Centre in Amaveni Suburb which is one of the hotspots in Midlands Province. Let me express my profound appreciation for your resounding efforts towards drug and substance abuse elimination,” said Minister Ncube.
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter