Story by Peter Chivhima
MORE than 5 000 people have been arrested so far since the government launched an operation to reduce the scourge dubbed operation “No to dangerous drugs and illicit substances.”
With the drug and substance abuse scourge reaching alarming levels, wreaking havoc in families and threatening the core of societal norms and values, government in February this year launched an operation to fight the societal ill.
So far the crackdown has netted more than 5 000 people in connection with dealing in dangerous and illicit substances as alluded to by the latest figures released by the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Amid revelations that more than 20 cases connected to possession or dealing with illicit drugs and substances are dealt with at the country’s courts on weekly basis, the legal fraternity is also concerned with the surge in such cases calling for holistic approach to protect the country’s future.
“It has become a worrisome trend, the rate at which our youths are coming at the courts on allegations of dealing with dangerous drugs. A starting point is to come up with strong rehabilitation institutions that teach them so that they can be reintegrated into the society when they finish there prison term,” said a legal practioner.
“I think as a nation there is a need for a holistic approach to deal with the menace. Also from a legal perspective i think there is a need to come up with a framework that protects whistle blowers because the real drug peddlers are getting away with it. Also i think there is a need to come up with strong rehabilitation centres that will allow offenders to learn something that will help them after the jail term,” noted another.
Government is rolling out several initiatives to curb the drug and substance abuse and this has seen the Second Republic availing ZWL500 million under the drug and substance abuse mitigation fund, setting up a national committee on the elimination of drug and substance abuse among other initiatives.
