Samuel Kadungure
News Editor
GOVERNMENT and Manicaland State University of Applied Sciences (MSUAS) have forged a strategic partnership to strengthen research, enforcement and community-based interventions against drug and substance abuse, which has spread into schools, workplaces and churches.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, described the partnership as a landmark alliance between Government and the university, warning that the spread of drugs into institutions traditionally regarded as pillars of society had elevated the problem into a national threat.
He said the far-reaching effects of drug and substance abuse made interventions a necessary investment in the country’s social and economic future.
Minister Mugadza said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aligned with Zimbabwe’s aspirations under Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
Under the partnership, Government will contribute, among other things, law enforcement, while the university will provide research, innovation and remedial interventions.
MSUAS approached the Government offering technical support through a structured approach to tackling the scourge. The MOU, among other things, acknowledges the scale of the crisis, seeks to strengthen provincial coordination, evidence-based interventions and research into the problem.
Key areas of cooperation include designing evidence-based awareness campaigns, training frontline peer educators, and conducting research to understand local drug trends and related social challenges.
The agreement also outlines the responsibilities of each party, implementation arrangements and governance structures, including a six-member steering committee and technical working groups.
It further provides for ethical considerations, intellectual property protection, termination, dispute resolution and approval processes.
MSUAS Vice Chancellor, Professor Albert Chawanda said the signing of the MoU was a direct response to a social challenge threatening the nation.
He said the Education 5.0 philosophy emphasised innovative approaches to solving societal problems, adding that universities had a responsibility to develop lasting solutions when communities were confronted by such challenges.
Professor Chawanda said MSUAS will offer a comprehensive support system and high-impact interventions for individuals and families affected by drug and substance abuse.
