Priscilla
Muunganirwa (46) and Takudzwa Masapa (18), appeared before the Bulawayo
regional magistrate Mrs Dambudzo Malunga facing charges of unlawful possession
of specified medicine and unlawful possession of dagga.
They were
remanded out of custody and their trial is set to commence on May 8.
The prosecutor
Mr Owen Mugari said the two women allegedly hired one Prosper Chacha to drive
their car, a Toyota Probox, which they parked outside the Trans Africa bus
garage in Bulawayo.
Upon the
arrival of a bus, the duo allegedly retrieved a white bucket, a blue-green
bucket, and a wrapped cardboard box from inside the garage and carried them to
their parked car.
Police
intercepted the pair and instructed them to open the containers. The buckets
were found to contain 223 bottles of BronCleer cough syrup, while the cardboard
box held 25 sealed packets and loose dagga. The dagga weighed 12,25
kilogrammes, with an estimated street value of US$12 746. The BronCleer was
valued at US$1 338.
“The recovered
dagga was taken to the Zimpost offices in Bulawayo for weighting in the
presence of both the accused persons and it weighed 12,250kg.
The recovered
BronCleer cough syrup had a street value of US$1338 and dagga had a street
value of US$12 746.
This arrest
comes as the country faces escalating drug abuse issues linked to rising
violent crimes in communities. The Government has intensified efforts to combat
drug smuggling and narcotics trade.
Recently,
police seized nearly 2 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine worth US$7 000 in
Bulawayo and intercepted 163 kilogrammes of marijuana valued at US$32 600 at
Beitbridge Border Post.
The Government
continues its crackdown on illicit drugs as part of broader efforts to address
this growing societal problem.
Last year, the
Government approved the principles for the enactment of the Zimbabwe Drug and
Substance Agency Bill.
The Bill paves
the way for the establishment of an additional Security Service and specialised
Drug and Substance Elimination Agency/National Drug Agency.
The agency will
be responsible for the enforcement of laws that deal with drug and substance
trafficking, use and abuse as well as co-ordinating efforts of other support
services.
Recent studies
done in Zimbabwe revealed an estimated 7,1 percent of young people abuse drugs,
with the most prevalent drugs being cannabis, crystal meth, BronCleer, skin
lighteners, illicit beverages and body enlargement products. Some children as
young as 10 years old are now engaging in drug and substance abuse.
In 2023,
President Mnangagwa set up an Inter-Ministerial Committee on Drug and Substance
Abuse to tackle the menace. Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri chairs
the committee and is deputised by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister
Kazembe Kazembe. Chronicle
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