Online Reporter
Tanyaradzwa Kutaura
Herald Reporter
LAW enforcement agencies, through specialised raids, have confiscated drugs worth over ZiG3 billion, while more than 13 000 people have been arrested as the Government continues the fight against drug and substance abuse.
Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe said they had made huge strides in curbing the drug and substance abuse menace through a multi-sectoral approach since the programme started.
Responding to questions on Star FM’s News and Current Affairs Programme on Monday, Minister Kazembe said efforts had been directed towards curbing drugs and substances, whose widespread abuse took the country by surprise.
“We are a member of the National Anti-Drug Task Force, which, and I’m the deputy Chairman to the Defence Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri, and our role is to ensure that we bust them, we destroy them and we arrest all those who are found involved in this and I must say we have conducted 60 specialised operations, intelligence-driven operations. And we arrested a total of 13 656 individuals and we have recovered drugs valued at over ZiG3 billion.”
He said the value of drugs confiscated and the number of people arrested showed that the Government was leaving no stone unturned in the fight against the vice.
“That’s not a small figure. And these recovered drugs include dagga, crystal meth, cocaine, ecstasy, tablets and unregistered medicine, among others. Our police officers, are doing a good job,” said Minister Kazembe.
He added that authorities have implemented mechanisms aimed at enhancing accountability amongst members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in dealing with issues relating to drugs by plucking out rogue officials.
“I must say, in 2025 alone, we arrested seven police officers who were involved in these drug issues. So our plea is for communities to alert the heads of local, district and provincial police units, whenever they get wind of information about our own officers engaging in these activities,” he said.
“It’s totally unacceptable, and those officers have no place in the police institutions. So we plead with our citizens and please, whenever you see this happening, please let us know. Please report to the nearest police station, or do something about it, don’t just watch and do nothing, do something about it.”
He said it was everyone’s responsibility to fight the drug and substance menace.
“We have a collective responsibility, all of us, police, all stakeholders, church leaders, family, parents, everybody, let’s work together to ensure that we deal with this drug menace,” he said.
Zimbabwe is intensifying its fight against a growing drug and substance abuse challenge, which has been identified as a major threat to national security, health and economic development. Following a sharp rise in cases — particularly among youths — the Government and various stakeholders are implementing a multi-sectoral approach to address the scourge.
Amongst other initiatives Zimbabwe, in 2024, established an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse, chaired by the Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri and supported by various ministries, including Home Affairs and Health. The committee coordinates a national response aimed at reducing supply, demand and harm, while improving treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration.
Minister Kazembe said efforts to restore order on the roads were underway, with the adoption of an advanced electronic traffic management system aimed at promoting accountability and reducing corruption amongst Zimbabweans and the ZRP in conducting their duties.
He said the first phase of the digital shift will be completed during the first quarter of the year.
“A contract was signed and procurement has already been done. As I am speaking, 20 sites have been identified in Harare and I can assure you, by the end of the first quarter, you should see these cameras being deployed in the capital,” he said.
And after such success Cde Minister, why is drug vice on the rise? Of the 13 000 drug criminals you arrested, how many are back on the streets doing their usual business? This figure looks impressive but the only benefit it created was making money for government through fines charged for the offences. One would want to know how many out of 13000 arrests were tried had culprits convicted and given long custodial sentences. How do we intend to control this drug menace when the laws are so ridiculously ambiguous? How can we use a law that says only possession of drugs is the crime but using them is not to effectively control this vice? A whole Minister boasts about making 13 000 arrests whose majority is back on the streets carrying on with their crime? How can one be fined US$200 for a crime where one makes US$2000 daily and is released back into society? Zimbabwe was well known for being a drug free country but within a few years, it has become a strong contender for the region’s top drug infested country. We treat addicts as patients and provide resources to treat them. Addiction is a disease of choice and if doing drugs is a crime let’s build jails and have rehabilitation done under prison conditions. There is no reason for treating addicts as if they are victims of malaria or cholera. They are criminals that require rehabilitation just like other prisoners. Why reward drug addicts when law abiding citizens are left to their own means to survive? Is that fair?