Kuwadzana East Legislator, Charlton Hwende has launched a campaign to expose drug lords within his constituency as drug abuse continues to be a big problem for the youth.
Posting on his Twitter page, Hwende said he is aware of drug lord who are selling drugs to young people and urged all partners to come onboard and join the fight.
“The fight for a Drug free Kuwadzana should be joined by all parents. We all know the houses selling drugs to our children in Kuwadzana and those hosting sex / alcohol parties for the school kids. I want you to send me the house details on my WhatsApp 0777772275 we must close them,” he said.
Zimbabwe is among countries that have of late witnessed an increase in drug use, although there is no official data on drug or substance use because a population size estimate has never been done before, anecdotal evidence points to a lot of illicit drug use on the ground in the country.
It is estimated 60% of young people aged between 16 and 35 years could have used or are using drugs or substances while 60% of admissions to mental institutions is linked to drug and substance use.
There is a likelihood of an increase in the population of people who use drugs by 2030 as projected by the UNODC if Zimbabwe sits on its laurels when it comes to addressing issues to do with laws, policies and blueprints such as the recently adopted Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan (ZNDMP) 2021 to 2025
Hwende said this should be a thing of the past if law enforcement agencies come on board .
“After my meeting with the Member in Charge of Kuwadzana ZRP police Station we agreed that my office will supply them with house numbers of all drug lords in Kuwadzana East so that we can close these place and arrest the culprits. I want our kids to learn in a drug free society,” Hwende added.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa early this year said he had set up an inter-ministerial committee to tackle the issue of drug abuse as it had become an emergency.
Police have also launched an operation to hunt for drug dealers and they regularly report on arrests and cracking down on drug syndicates.
