peterSharon Chimenya, Sunday News Reporter
MASVINGO City councillors have called out the local authority to work out measures that will help curb the increase of young people who are dying due to the abuse of illicit drugs.
Speaking during the full council meeting, ward four councillor, Aleck Tabe said the issue of drugs in the urban area has become a cause for concern with wards 1, 2 and 4 recording an increase in drug abuse cases.
“This drug called mutoriro has caused a lot of harm in the community.
Almost three quarters of mental cases at Ngomahuru are due to the abuse of drugs.
There has been an increase in the cases of drug abuse in wards 1, 2 and 4.
We need to come up with strong measures to curb this problem.”
Echoing the same sentiments, councillor for ward eight, Clr Senengerai Manyanga said the council should put up a budget which will include a reward for those who would approach the city fathers with names of the drug dealers.
“We need to have a joint operation with the Zimbabwe Republic Police and as council we offer a reward to those who will bring names of drug dealers.
“There are very few suppliers here in Masvingo and if we offer a reward we will be able to deal with this problem.
We need to visit Ngomahuru so that we may all understand this problem; most of the inmates at Ngomahuru are from Masvingo Urban.
‘We would also need to set up a clinic to deal with mental issues so that those who would have these problems of drugs might go and get help.
We have a maternity clinic; we now have a Covid-19 clinic so why can’t we have a clinic for mental issues.”
The rise in drug abuse has become a public health concern and has prompted the Government to launch an inter-Ministerial taskforce which is chaired by the Ministry of Public Services, Labour and Social Welfare.
Clr Richard Musekiwa of ward seven said most of the deaths being recorded in the city are because of the abuse of drugs.
Online Reporter