Simba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
BULAWAYO will host this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking commemorations at Stanley Square in Makokoba on 24 June.
Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Judith Ncube is expected to be the guest of honour.
The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking is a United Nations International Day against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade.
Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN) director Mr Wilson Box said the commemorations would be held under the theme of “Drug use in Zimbabwe, a search for a sustainable drug policy”.
“On 24 June, our organisation and partners that include the Health Ministry’s Mental Health Department, Love Alliance, Active Youth, National Aids Council, Intellectus Campus will be commemorating the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Stanley Square in Makokoba.
Drugs- Image taken from Shutterstock
The theme for the day will be ‘Drug use in Zimbabwe, a search for a sustainable drug policy’ which is what we have been advocating for.
Without a drug policy, it will remain difficult for us as a country to stem the growing drug and substance use scourge in the country,” said Mr Box.
The ZCLDN is a national; advocacy initiative which works in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare’s Mental Health Department to conscientise the society about the dangers of drug and substance use as well as offering intervention services across five of the country’s 10 administrative provinces.
The organisation is working in Bulawayo, Harare, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces. It advocates for drug reform, introduction of harm reduction strategies and prevention of HIV and Aids among people who use and inject drugs in Zimbabwe.
The initiative has support groups in Bulawayo, Harare, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West and Manicaland provinces where education on drug use and services are available on request.
“Zimbabwe drug laws criminalise people who use drugs who then go underground if they feel threatened by the laws of the land or security agents and fail to seek help for fear of prosecution.
We believe that drug use must be viewed as a public health issue rather than a criminal issue.
The country is coming to grips with the fact that drug use is a second pandemic after Covid-19.
While drug advocacy is everywhere, services to help and treat people who use drugs are scarce.”
Meanwhile, ZCLDN has called on the Government to fully implement the Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan as well as appoint a national co-ordinator on drug and substance use.
The ZCLDN funded the development of the National Drug Master Plan that was completed in September 2020 and adopted in 2021 before following that up with the training of 65 nurses from mental health institutions at United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), Parirenyatwa, Mpilo Hospitals in harm reduction services between 2020 and 2021.
Mr Box said the appointment of a full-time national co-ordinator must be set up along the same lines as Covid-19 structures.
He said the co-ordinator must be a full-time technical person with the necessary skills and knowledge on dealing with drug issues and tasked with the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan.
“The national drugs co-ordinator must be a technical person who will also ensure the implementation of the National Drug Master Plan.
I believe that from there drug issues will be taken seriously.
At the moment we are only just starting,” Mr Box said.
“The National Master Plan is not working because it has not been implemented and needs financing.
Additionally, the Master Plan can only work effectively if it is given to its crafters to implement as they knew what they wanted to achieve when they developed it.
At the moment, it is just like any other framework that is gathering dust somewhere in Government offices.”
Crystal meth, marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, diazepam, pethidine, broncleer and CPZ have been identified as the major drugs of choice in the country along with illicit brews popularly known as “musombodiya” and “kachasu/ithothotho”. — @RealSimbaJemwa