Zimbabweans want incoming government to effectivel...

Zimbabweans want incoming government to effectively solve drug problem

**Simangele Moyo-Nyede, MPOIs Principal Researcher**

Munyaradzi Doma

Drug abuse is a rising concern for Zimbabweans who feel it is one of the issues that need to be addressed urgently during this electioneering period.

This was revealed during a pre-election Afrobarometer survey which was conducted by the Mass Public Opinion Institute.

The Afrobarometer survey which is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research project that measures citizen attitudes on democracy and governance, the economy, civil society and other topics was conducted during April and May.

The survey was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 2 400 randomly selected adult citizens from across all provinces of the country.

While the respondents raised other issues, they felt drug abuse is an issue which needed to be urgently addressed as it was threatening the lives of many young people.

“On the people’s development agenda, you will find that drug abuse at 9 percent, is one of the problems that has emerged in the top 10 important problems that the citizens believe should be addressed,” revealed Simangele Moyo-Nyede, MPOIs Principal Researcher.

Under the Zimbabwean law, drug and substance abuse is punishable by fine or imprisonment and one is supposed to be rehabilitated but still this has not deterred many youths, who continue taking drugs and dangerous substances.

Research has shown that a lot of drugs and dangerous substances have flooded Zimbabwe and the youths, have become willing partakers of substances such as crystal meth, cocaine, Bron Cleer and marijuana among others.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on record saying his government will fight the scourge which is threatening the lives of many youths as he recently availed a US$500 million drug and substance abuse fund.

At a recent inaugural Development Conference towards a drug-free nation for the attainment of Vision 2030, Mnangagwa said the fund will accelerate high impact activities and result in the fight to end drug abuse.

“The need to mitigate the harm associated with substance abuse as well as negative health psycho-social effects through the provision of holistic treatment services for affected individual and families remains critical,” he said.

Mnangagwa has also called for the arrest of drug peddlers as well as the consumers, saying this will go a long way in ridding society of the ill that is wreaking havoc among the youths.

Police have arrested thousands of people since the war on drugs started earlier this year, but the sight of people clearly under the influence remains common.

Police also continue to arrest people for possession and distribution of drugs on a daily basis, indicating that the problem is not going away.

Leader of the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change Nelson Chamisa also says more needs to be done to fight drug abuse.

Chamisa says if his government is elected into power, they will roll out anti-drugs campaign and a national Anti-Drug Policy.