TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO
Police commissioner general, Godwin Matanga (pictured) has pleaded for more resources to fully fight against the drug scourge, Business Times can report.
The appeal comes at a time when Zimbabwe is battling an increase in drug and substance. Recently, President Mnangagwa launched the National Anti-Drug and Substance Abuse Campaign.
Speaking at the Vision 2030 Movement engagement conference in Bulawayo last week, Matanga said more resources were needed to fight drug abuse.
“These include high-powered motor vehicles for high-speed chases and low-cost vehicles for patrols and surveillance, state-of-the-art technologies at ports of entry and exit, as well as funding for more localised and international training to catch up with new skills requirements in this field,” Matanga said.
He said it would be desirable if resources and capabilities are concentrated more in the police’s specialised unit for the cause, “which is our drugs and narcotics units under our criminal investigations department”.
Matanga said Zimbabwe was grappling with drug and substance abuse.
He said the police have arrested over 4 000 people, including 466 suppliers.
He added: “Again we confiscated and destroyed large quantities of substances. The drug mules from Brazil, India, Nigeria, and Latvia have been arrested while using undesignated points of entry to move the contraband.”
Government is also taking deliberate steps to address substance abuse by the youths by upgrading mental health institutions to cater for minors.
Matanga said more funding was needed to help curb the issues of drug and substance abuse scourge amongst young people.
He said there was peer pressure among youths especially on social media platforms to “to package and spread narratives that portray drug taking as an admirable lifestyle are some of the factors abating the increase the uptake of drugs in our society”.
Meanwhile, police in Bulawayo have arrested nine people believed to be suppliers of illegal alcoholic beverages commonly known as injegu and drugs such as mbanje in Entumbane high-density suburb.
Bulawayo police spokesperson, inspector Abednico Ncube said: “The suspects are Davison Mvula (21), Albert Ncube (48), Casper Chandiwana (27), Anfile Ndlovu (18), Tinashe Nyamunda (21), Ronald Makuvaza (20), Steven Gwata, (22), Michael Ncube (20) and Ronald Mlambo (27).
“When the police got to the house they found (Davison) Mvula who had some drugs on him and was arrested. Upon his arrest he implicated the other eight leading to their arrest on that same day.”
Drug dealers are operating within communities selling drugs, which include imbanje, crystal meth, Broncleer and injengu
Side effects of the drug include an increase in heart and breathing rates, blood pressure and body temperature, nausea, diarrhoea, suicidal thoughts, increased talkativeness, and a tendency to engage in repetitive actions.
