Citizens rally behind govt in fight against drug abuse
Story by Peter Chivhima
LEGAL practitioners and concerned citizens have weighed in calling on all stakeholders to support government efforts in fighting drug and substance abuse.
On Tuesday, the government through the National Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse, issued a stern warning against drug peddlers and called on all Zimbabweans to play a part in ending the drug and substance abuse menace.
People who spoke to ZBC News this Wednesday added their voice on the issue, saying almost every family is affected by the scourge.
One of the citizens said, “We want to applaud the government for all the efforts meant to curb the drug and substance abuse scourge. It’s only yesterday we saw the National Committee on Drug and Substance Abuse condemning those who are selling drugs.”
“What we think is that those who are supplying drugs need to be arrested so that we save youths from this menace. It is so disturbing to see that our children are perishing due to drug and substance abuse.
We also need to work together as a nation in protecting the future,” said another citizen.
A citizen said, “It is quite disturbing because I am also facing the same. I have two kids who are into drug and substance abuse because at times they steal money and household appliances, besides that, they call me all sorts of names. So I don’t know what I can do, we need the government to help us end this nightmare.”
Legal experts have called for a statutory instrument that encompasses other new dangerous substances like mutoriro and guka, which are not among the legally listed drugs.
“What we think is that there is a need for a Statutory instrument where drugs such as mutoriro can be added to the list so that courts can be able to prosecute those found abusing the drugs. We are also of the view that we need to define dangerous drugs according to their effects not to the name,” said the Legal Practitioner, Mrs Sekai Magawa.
Legal expert, Miss Muriel Hondonga said, “Lawmakers should also come on board and help the amendment process of Statutory Instruments because at times a lot of people are going scot-free because there is no clear definition of what qualifies dangerous drugs. For instance the issue of Mutoriro. We also think that there is a need to come up with stiffer penalties on those found guilty.”
Recently, a 23-year-old man from Mbare, Harare, Phaeeton Mutiyaya was arrested for selling alcohol to juveniles on Christmas Day.
