Her Excellency, First Lady Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa has a strategic framework for the engagement Office of the First Lady of the Republic of Zimbabwe in HIV, Health and Development, 2019-2023 (Strategic Framework which builds on Her work in addressing HIV, and promoting health and development in Zimbabwe and on Saturday held a fun day in conjunction with Sports Recreation Commission at Zimbabwe Grounds in Harare.
The fun-filled day had a lot of sports activities participated by the High field community and stakeholders ranging from chess, netball, tug of war, sack race and soccer, exhibition from various stakeholders and discussions on development issues with the abuse of substances among the youths being the most topical issue.
The community pleaded with Her Excellency to look in the matter of substance abuse among youths which has become rampant in the country hampering development in homes. Youths taking Crystal Meth (Mutoriro) has become a scourge.
Enough is enough, says Glen-Norah community anti- Mutoriro voluntary group as they vow to flush out those who sell and take Mutoriro in the neighborhood of Glen-Norah and its surrounding areas.
The group was formulated following Kudakwashe Nohumba, a 22- year-old’s narrow escape from an inferno that could have taken his life due to the influence of Mutoriro. The group of community members who have volunteered are flushing out the drug users in their rendezvous, where it is being sold in the hood with arrests being made.
Kudakwashe Nohumba left a cigarette alight whilst going to sleep causing the inferno. He got burned whilst asleep as the blankets and mattress caught fire from the lighted cigarette left unattended.
The door was not locked but the screen gate was locked and the keys were among the ashes when he later woke and tried to get out.
His sister Tanyaradzwa waking up at around 5am heard him groaning and called people. A window was broken to pour the water from outside whilst others broke the screen gate. He stood between the opened door and locked screen gate as fire engulfed the whole room. The rescuers later broke the screen gate and he managed to get outside.
After the upheaval that left a life at stake, a number of young and old male residents have started an operation code named Anti- Mutoriro flushing out the drug dealers and the addicted youths.
The community members started the operation the day Kudakwashe Nohumba was admitted at the Sally Mugabe hospital with severe burns.
They first warned the one who sold Crystal Meth to Kudakwashe to stop selling illicit drugs in the hood. He turned a deaf ear and they caught him with the substances at his place of residence and they turned him to Glen – Norah Police Station.
“So far we have visited four bases and arrests have been made”, said Samuel Chemazo one of the community members. “Our aim is to have a reduction in the demand and supply of Mutoriro”, said Chemazo.
The operation dubbed Anti- Mutoriro is flushing out drug users at around 7pm and the community members are the complaints on the cases already in the courts. They allegedly blame the police for turning a blind eye on the people selling Mutoriro in the hood.
Rising unemployment and reduced opportunities caused by the pandemic are so likely to disproportionately affect the poorest, making them more vulnerable to drug use and also to drug trafficking and cultivation in order to make money says the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2020 World Drug Report.
Wilson Box with the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network, an advocacy organization into policy reform, harm reduction and prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst people who use drugs lamented the deteriorating situations in communities due to drug usage with Crystal Method topping the list.
“A Drug Master Plan was adopted by the Government as a strategy to deal with drug issues in Zimbabwe. However, the Drug Master Plan has not been fully implemented. As long as the document is not implemented fully, cases of drug use multiply”, said Box.
The Zimbabwe National Drug Master Plan 2020-2025’s vision is to establish a coordinated holistic and proactive response to the drug use challenges in Zimbabwe. Its mission is to reduce the demand, supply and harm of substance use through multi prolonged approach.
Drug use increased far more rapidly among developing countries over the 2000- 2018 period than in developed countries. Up to 253 000 deaths globally were a result if illicit drug use. Non medicinal use of prescription and non- prescription medications and over the counter drugs is increasingly becoming a problem worldwide.
In Zimbabwe, alcohol and substance use related problems are one of the top 3 problems seen in mental health services
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