Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
GOVERNMENT has fired a salvo in Zimbabwe’s war on drugs with the gazetting of the National Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency Bill [H.B. 12, 2025].
The law will set up a powerful new agency to hunt drug dealers and rehabilitate users.
Published on 10 October, the bill marks what authorities describe as a “significant move” to tackle the growing scourge of drug and substance abuse that has torn through communities, wrecking families and derailing young lives.
According to the gazetted statement, Section 3 of the Bill establishes a specialised agency to “enforce laws related to drug trafficking and substance abuse.”
In the same breath, Section 4(1)(b) empowers the new body, working with the police and security services, to “dismantle drug trafficking and distribution networks” across the country.
However, the crackdown is not all about punishment. Section 4(1)(a) also directs the Agency to “facilitate reintegration of affected individuals into society,” a nod to the growing call for rehabilitation and social support for victims of addiction.
The new agency will have two main arms — an Enforcement Division to track and arrest drug traffickers, and a Social Services Intervention Division to work with hospitals, rehab centres and social workers to give addicts a second chance.
The move comes as Zimbabwe steps up efforts under its National Drug and Substance Abuse Policy, which promotes prevention, rehabilitation, and coordinated law enforcement. The policy, adopted in 2023, identifies drug abuse as a national security and public health threat, linking it to rising youth unemployment, gender-based violence, and urban crime.
Officials believe the Bill will add teeth to those efforts.
“The establishment of this agency will have a significant impact on Zimbabwe’s fight against drug abuse,” a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) reads. “It will address the social and economic consequences, including family breakdowns, loss of education opportunities, and crime.”
For more details and updates on the Bill’s progress, visit attorneygeneral.org.zw.
