Online Reporter
Conrad Mupesa
Mashonaland West Bureau
AUTHORITIES in Mashonaland West have intensified efforts to combat drug and substance abuse, rolling out community-based awareness campaigns in Sanyati District as part of a broader strategy to curb the growing scourge.
The provincial drug and substance abuse technical committee recently engaged traditional leaders, Government departments, churches and local communities at a meeting held at Jameson High School, as stakeholders push for coordinated and lasting solutions.
The engagement brought together Chiefs Neuso and Hozhele, local authority officials, security services, church leaders and other stakeholders, with discussions centred on developing community-driven interventions to reduce drug use among youths, strengthen awareness programmes and ensure that those involved in the production and distribution of illicit substances face the law.
Sanyati Rural District Council chairperson Councillor Stanford Chaombezvi said while hard drugs such as cocaine and crystal meth remain a concern, rural communities are increasingly grappling with the effects of illegal illicit brews.
“Although the use of hard drugs like cocaine and crystal meth is a concern, our rural areas are facing a serious challenge from illicit brews. We have witnessed an increase in murder cases, and some of these have been linked to the abuse of these substances,” he said.
Chief Neuso said communities must take a leading role in addressing the problem, adding that he would mobilise village heads and other traditional structures to strengthen prevention efforts.
He revealed that a young man from ARDA Township recently died under suspected circumstances linked to drug abuse, underscoring the urgency of the interventions.
A Ministry of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage official, Detective Inspector Tatenda Tungwarara, said law enforcement agencies are intensifying operations against drug networks, noting that some police officers had been arrested for their involvement in illegal activities linked to drugs.
“Efforts to curb the circulation and smuggling of drugs have resulted in the arrest of some police officers who were involved in these illegal activities,” he said.
Mr Tichaona Chiwiro, deputy director in the Office of the Minister of State for Mashonaland West Provincial Affairs and Devolution, who also leads the provincial technical committee, said tackling drug and substance abuse requires a collective approach.
“The fight against drug and substance abuse cannot be left to one institution. It requires the involvement of Government, traditional leaders, churches, parents, communities and every citizen,” he said.
