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HARARE residents are calling for stricter laws and penalties against drug lords and paddlers as drug abuse rates continue to rise among the youths and adults in Zimbabwe.
According to research, 57.7percent of youths abuse drugs, while three percent of adults have drug or alcohol abuse disorders.
ZNOART national chairman, Shalvar Chikomba, called for new, clearer laws which would categorise certain drugs as dangerous substances to make it easier for police and prosecutors to convict drug dealers.
He suggested that Parliament should come up with stringent laws stipulating mandatory lengthy sentences against drug dealers and tightening existing laws to deal with drug and substance abuse.
Chikomba also called for greater community-based rehabilitation and empowerment programmes to help young people resist drug abuse and for residents to work more closely with law enforcement to bring drug paddlers to book.
“We have noted with concern that due to lack of specific laws categorising some drugs as dangerous substances, police and prosecutors are finding it difficult to have drug dealers convicted,” he said.
“We have seen that the laws on drugs are vague resulting in police and prosecutors experiencing difficulties in coming up with appropriate charges, thus having a bearing on the penalty ultimately imposed on the culprit.
“Crafting new appropriate laws is one way which should be considered to help to deal with rampant drug abuse,” he said.
He said they suspect that the law enforcement agencies have knowledge of local drug bases, but are reluctant to act due to legal and judiciary loopholes that endanger the complainants.
“Communities should be empowered to deal with those abusing drugs and should work with the police to bring culprits to book and youths should also be empowered to understand the bad side of drugs.
“As Residents we call upon the authorities to help us provide community-based rehabilitation.
“Recreational facilities in our neighbourhoods are in a deplorable state, local authorities have destroyed them, and it’s high time that the Government treats this issue as a state of emergency because our future generation is at stake.
“The future of Zimbabwe is shaped by the youth of today,” Chikomba said.
He hailed the Government for coming up with a drug master-plan and setting up specialised medical facilities to provide services to drug addicts as lack of rehabilitation centres was worsening the effects of drugs in communities.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter