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Writes Hopewell Chibvongodze
Chitungwiza town council set to establish a drug rehabilitation centre to assist the community and government by treating drug and substance patients.
This was said by the Chitungwiza Ward 16 councillor, Michael Mukashi when he spoke at the drug and substance abuse awareness campaign and march hosted by the Roman Catholic Church’s St Monica Sub Parish on Saturday in Unit P, Chitungwiza early this week.
The campaign started with a march from Zvipoto Business Shops to St Monica Church where speeches were given by various government departments including the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Vocational Training Centres, the Criminal Investigations Department’s drugs and narcotics section, church leaders, social welfare department and CITMED Hospital among other organisations.
The drug and substance campaign ran under the theme “Sarudza hupenyu madrugs rufu”.
“Here in Chitungwiza, we have a challenge because we don’t have a rehabilitation centre. As Chitungwiza council we have plans to establish a rehabilitation centre so that we may assist the community. Soon, you will hear us announcing that all the people facing drug and substance abuse problems can be assisted at our rehabilitation centre,” he said.
He said the local authority had convened a meeting and agreed to maximise the use of idle council property to set up the rehabilitation centre for the benefit of the community.
The councillor said the issue of drug and substance abuse affects everyone including families, the community and the nation at large as it affects the economy.
“We kindly ask ZRP to help us by all means possible. The way you operate needs to be upscaled. Drug and substance issues are not underground issues. Drugs are being sold in the communities and we know the bases where they operate from, around snooker tables, under the shade and, shade and in car parks and elsewhere.”
He said most drugs and substances bases and suppliers in the suburbs were known to the police who are not acting to effectively stamp them out with some law enforcement details taking bribes to protect the kingpins.
“The problem is that you are releasing them very quickly at times without any punishment. Some of them don’t even get to court,” he said. “In Ward 16, I have told the police all the bases which supply drugs and substances, and they carry out raids yet I suspect there are moles that notify the guys that the police are coming to raid because the police seem to always be a step behind.”
Mukashi said the ZPR should further simplify and define drug and substance abuse so that even children can understand