Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
TWO Chitungwiza women have been arrested after being found in possession of unregistered medicines and drug packaging materials as the fight against drug peddling continues countrywide.
The suspects were arrested following a tip-off. In a statement, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest.
“Police in Chitungwiza acted on received information and arrested two women, Prudence Nhakaza (23) and Elizabeth Mukomberanwa (46), in Zengeza 5, Chitungwiza, in connection with illegal possession of unregistered medicines and drug packaging materials.
“Police recovered five-litre containers of suspected Broncleer syrup, empty 100ml Broncleer bottles, bottle caps and cardboard boxes believed to have been used for packaging,” he said.
Last week, Police Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba said the drugs that are destroying the youths in Chitungwiza are often trafficked across borders, fuelled by international syndicates that prey on the vulnerabilities.
He said while their response as police should also address the international dimension, it must be founded on robust local mechanisms, rooted in the communities, and driven by their determination to protect children.
Comm Gen Mutamba said this during the commemorations of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in Chitungwiza on Friday.
The theme for the 2026 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (World Drug Day) was “World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses”.
This theme—which was used by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)—highlighted the evolving, complex nature of the global drug landscape.
It specifically focused on the need to tackle synthetic drugs, sophisticated trafficking networks, and digital illicit markets through scientific evidence, compassion, and coordinated global action.
Drug and substance abuse among Zimbabwe’s young people has continued to be on the increase countrywide despite efforts by both the Government and non-governmental organisations to curb the crisis.
In his speech, Comm Gen Mutamba said their intelligence reports indicate that the drivers of drug and substance abuse among the youths are deeply entrenched within the social and economic fabric with peer pressure, lack of parental guidance, community habituation of drug use, and limited recreational opportunities.
“In bringing this commemoration to the heart of the community, we are sending a powerful message,” he said.
“We will not wait for the problem to come to our offices. We are reaching out to those disproportionately affected by this scourge; our youth in our townships and our families in our high-density suburbs. This is where the battle against drug and substance abuse is won or lost.
“Drug abuse is not a problem that affects only the user. It is a cancer that destroys families, shatters communities, and undermines the future of our nation.
“When a young person falls into the trap of substance abuse, the ripple effects are felt across generations; talent dies prematurely, parents weep, siblings despair, and communities lose productive citizens to addiction and crime.”
He said the scope of the problem surpasses what the police alone can address and requires collaboration between law enforcement, health professionals, educators, religious leaders, parents, and the community itself.
