Matabeleland civic groups join govt in drugs abuse fight

By The NewsDay | Jun. 18, 2022 | 2 Min read

Government through the Health and Child Care, Youth and Women’s Affairs ministries formed different committees with the civic groups, including the National Aids Council, to tackle the vice.

BY IRENE MOYO MATABELELAND civic groups on Thursday joined hands with government in campaigning against drug and substance abuse in the region.

Government through the Health and Child Care, Youth and Women’s Affairs ministries formed different committees with the civic groups, including the National Aids Council, to tackle the vice.

Ministerial committee vice-chairperson Isaiah Mpofu said they would co-ordinate all provincial campaigns to fight against drug and substance abuse.

“The formation of the ministerial committee is an effort by the government to do a collaborative approach with development partners who are complementing the government in its approach to drugs and substance abuse to come up with a developmental plan as a provincial taskforce,” Mpofu said at the ceremony to announce the fight against drug abuse held in the city.

“In the near future, we are also looking forward to developing an interprovincial plan which will guide our interventions such as campaigns, peer groups, activities, rehabilitation centres, among the list.”

In 2021, President Emmerson Mnangagwa set up an inter-ministerial committee to tackle substance abuse among the country’s youths.

Government said the committee’s approach would include intensification of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, rehabilitation, reduction of demand and elimination of supply and availability of illicit and over the counter substances and drugs on the market.

Speaking at the same event, Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Blood Network Trust representative Wilson Mpofu said: “Now that we have collaborated with organisations, we will be well-informed about these drugs because we realised that many people are not really aware of what they are fighting so these trainings will bring much relief.” Drug and alcohol abuse in Zimbabwe has been on the increase due to social and economic hardships in the country.