Online Reporter
Ivan Zhakata
Features Correspondent
WHEN Columbus Tapiwa Mushore looks back at his past, the memory feels like a lifetime away, a time when crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as mutoriro, dictated his every thought, action and heartbeat.
Today, that same man is leading a movement of healing and awareness through his organisation, Heal Us Zimbabwe, dedicated to rescuing others from the grip of substance abuse.
Mushore said he once lived a life that many feared to speak about openly.
“I was addicted to crystal meth. My dreams had been clouded by a dangerous substance that left me mentally broken, physically weakened and spiritually lost,” he said.
His journey from addiction to advocacy began in darkness.
Like many young Zimbabweans, curiosity led him to experiment with the drug.
What started as what he thought would be a harmless experience quickly turned into a daily battle for survival.
“Methamphetamine hijacks the mind. It convinces you that you are unstoppable while it destroys everything you love. I became paranoid, aggressive and unable to function without it. I was living inside a body that no longer felt like mine.”
Mushore’s addiction isolated him from family, friends and society.
“Inside, I was drowning yet on the outside, I pretended to be in control,” he said.
“Meth strips away dignity and agency until you feel like a captive in your own life.”
The turning point came one terrifying night when he experienced what he describes as a divine warning.
“I heard a voice that said, ‘If you do not stop now, you will die.’ That moment shook me. It was like a veil had been lifted,” he said.
On October 2, 2021, Mushore made the life-changing decision to walk into a psychiatric clinic and admit himself for rehabilitation.
“No one forced me into treatment,” he said.
“I was driven by the fear of death and the faint possibility of living again.”
Recovery was a long, painful process.
He described rehabilitation as “a battleground” where he fought to reclaim his life from the grip of addiction.
“I cried, I prayed and some days I doubted whether I would make it through,” Mushore said.
“But that clinic became the place where I won my life back.”
It was during this period of healing that Mushore made a promise, to dedicate his life to helping others find recovery.
“If I survived, I told myself I would save others trapped in addiction,” he said.
“Drug abuse in Zimbabwe must no longer be ignored or mocked. It is a national crisis that demands national action.”
Out of that promise, Heal Us Zimbabwe was born. The non-profit organisation has since launched nationwide awareness campaigns, educational outreach programmes and family support initiatives.
Its mission is simple yet profound, to give voice and hope to those silenced by addiction.
To bring the message home, Mushore and his team organised two major awareness walkathons — from Beitbridge to Harare and Plumtree to Harare — drawing national attention.
“The walkathons were long and demanding, but that was the point,” he said.
“Every kilometre symbolised the journey of recovery. Each step was a declaration that Zimbabwe must walk together out of this crisis.”
During the walkathons, Mushore met grieving families and desperate youths seeking help.
“We met people who had lost loved ones, young men and women who wanted to recover but did not know where to turn,” he said.
“Those moments reminded me why this fight matters.”
Now, Heal Us Zimbabwe is working towards establishing a rehabilitation centre that will offer affordable treatment, counselling, and skills development for recovering addicts.
“Zimbabwe urgently needs more rehabilitation centres,” Mushore said.
“Addiction is a health condition, not a crime. People need treatment, not punishment.”
His vision is clear, a Zimbabwe where recovery is accessible, where no young person is left to fight addiction alone.
“A country cannot prosper while its youth are being destroyed by harmful substances,” Mushore said.
“We must invest in rehabilitation, prevention and awareness.”
Looking back, Mushore believes his transformation was guided by divine grace.
“Whether it was God’s voice or the last spark of my survival instinct, it reminded me that my life still had meaning,” he said.
“Meth tried to take everything from me, but resilience, rehabilitation and faith restored my humanity.”
Today, he walks not as a victim of addiction but as a voice for recovery — a living example that even from the deepest darkness, transformation is possible.
“Crystal meth stole my past but advocacy defines my future. Together, let us heal Zimbabwe.”
