ED talks tough, warns drug dealers

TENDAI BHEBE IN BULAWAYO 

President Emmerson Mnangagwa  (pictured) yesterday warned drug dealers that they will be punished more severely than before amid rising cases of drug abuse.

Mnangagwa, who spoke at a youth conference in Bulawayo yesterday, said his administration has since set aside ZWL$500m Drug and Substance Abuse Mitigation Fund to fight the scourge.

He said robust strategies have been deployed to curb the production, manufacturing and distribution of drugs.

Mnangagwa said the government has scaled up the fight against drug and substance abuse and harmful drugs and substances would not be allowed to proliferate in Zimbabwe.

“At both national and sub-national level the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Drug and Substance abuse was established to coordinate the fight against this scourge.

“Since then, robust strategies have been deployed to curb the production, manufacturing and distribution of drugs,” he said, adding that all arms of the government would continue to “expunge every point along the supply chain to deal with the source and destination points of illicit drugs and substances”.

The call by Mnangagwa comes after 6 156 people have been arrested for drug abuse related crimes, according to Information Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, who spoke to journalists at a post Cabinet briefing on Tuesday this week.

Yesterday’s event in Bulawayo was organised by the Vision 2030 Movement in conjunction with the Inter-ministerial Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse.

It was held under the theme, Creating a young people-led economy by 2030, through fighting drug and substance abuse.

Mnangagwa said the government was rolling out outpatient Psycho-social Support Centres, designed to provide screening and counselling services.

These services are set to ensure the successful re-integration of former drug users back into society, he said.

Mnangagwa encouraged communities to support the affected people and initiate different activities like sports and clubs to keep young people busy.

“Reducing the demand for drugs and substances through promoting sports and healthy lifestyles must be encouraged. ‘‘I challenge the private sector to partner government and local authorities, in both rural and urban areas, for the provision of the requisite infrastructure and facilities towards promoting healthy lifestyles, especially among our youth,” he said.