Defence
Minister, Honourable Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, who chairs the National
Committee on Drugs and Substance Abuse, said Cabinet is finalising a bill to
impose harsher penalties on dealers and peddlers of dangerous substances.
Minister
Muchinguri-Kashiri made this announcement while officiating at the launch of
the Presidential Emergency Medical Scheme in Mutasa District last Saturday.
She warned that
under the proposed law, offenders will face stiff jail sentences rather than
fines, with the sentence duration determined by the number of people they would
have sold the drugs to.
“Some shops are
selling illicit substances like tumbwa, and this serves as a warning to them
before the bill is passed. Once it is passed, there will no longer be an option
of a fine, but facing a jail term,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri, further
explaining that the proposed law stipulates a five-year imprisonment term for
each person sold drugs to.
“If you have
sold drugs to 10 people, you will be sentenced to 50 years in prison,” she
said, adding that the legislation aims to address the growing concern over
rising drug and substance abuse, particularly among youths, which threatens
national development and President Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 goals.
Minister
Muchinguri-Kashiri revealed that once the bill becomes law, it will enable the
immediate confiscation of harmful substances like tumbwa, ensuring those in
possession face jail time without exception.
“The Drugs and
Substance Abuse Committee, which I chair, is finalising the drafting of a law
to establish a national agency. This agency will coordinate anti-drug
programmes, ensure effective prosecution, and expose offenders,” she explained.
To combat drug
distribution, Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said Government will implement the
‘‘name and shame’’ strategy.
This approach
aims to expose and eliminate drug dealers at the community level.
“We urge
communities to report drug distributors to the police, who will take action.
Tips will remain anonymous to protect informants. These substances are
devastating our nation and crippling our economy. Let us take action,
Zimbabwe,” she warned.
Minister
Muchinguri-Kashiri also expressed concern over reports of increasing drug use
among civil servants, including teachers and police officers.
“Teachers and
police are not being spared. They are now abusing guka and tumbwa. This has
become a national crisis, and we are taking urgent action,” she said, adding
that measures will be put in place and extended to workplaces, especially
schools and police stations, where Government plans to introduce mandatory
breathalyser tests to detect drug use before employees begin work.
“Just like we
used to test people during the Covid-19 era, we will be testing for drugs. This
is because Zimbabwe is under attack from drugs and substances, and we want the
situation to go back to normal again,” she said.
To address the
growing number of affected citizens, Government plans to establish
rehabilitation centres in every district.
The centres
will, not only treat addiction, but also equip recovering addicts with
vocational skills such as construction, carpentry, and farming.
Minister
Muchinguri-Kashiri said Government will further support rehabilitated
individuals through a special loan facility to help them rebuild their lives.
She also
condemned the proliferation of bottle stores operating beyond permitted hours
and illegally selling alcohol to minors.
“Many such
outlets are also doubling as drug distribution points, and they should stay
warned because crackdowns are looming. Even our borders are not spared as
corruption has seen some border officials accepting bribes to allow drug
smugglers into the country. We have people working at our borders who are being
bribed, and allowing drugs into the country. Most of this guka and tumbwa is
entering through our porous borders,” she said.
Meanwhile,
Harare District Liaison Officer for CID Drugs and Narcotics, Detective
Constable Lameck Gondora warned that drug abuse remains one of the most
dangerous threats to the country’s social and economic stability.
“Drug abuse is
the continued use of substances for intoxication, or without medical
prescription, and it leads to addiction. Many of our youths are being trapped.
The most common substances being abused include marijuana, crystal meth, skin
lightening creams, sex enhancers, ecstasy tablets, LSD, cocaine, and tumbwa,”
he said.
Detective
Constable Gondora urged parents and guardians to closely monitor their
children’s behaviour and social circles to curb early exposure to drugs, while
encouraging communities to form anti-drug committees and partner with law
enforcement agents to ensure a united front against the menace. Manica Post
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