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Zimbabwe's growing problem of hard drugs
Caiphas Chimhete, The Standard (Zimbabwe)
August 22, 2010

http://www.thestandard.co.zw/local/26135-zimbabwes-growing-problem-of-hard-drugs.html

A young man, in his early 20s, lies motionless in the veranda of a shopping complex in Harare's Kambuzuma high density suburb recently. The only visible sign of life around him are big green flies, hovering over his seemingly lifeless body.

The buzzing flies are being attracted by a revolting stench coming from his trousers. The young man has soiled himself after taking a combination of alcohol and bronclear, a highly intoxicating drug smuggled from neighbouring countries.

Passers-by just shake their heads in disbelief as his friends giggle from a distance where they continue with their drinking binge.

"Leave him like that. He will wake up when he sobers," one of his friends shouts to those who want to give a hand thinking the young man is ill. Investigations by The Standard news crew established that it was common among the youths, mostly the unemployed, to take concoctions of drugs whenever they can find them to speed up intoxication.

A snap survey around Harare's high density suburb also established that among the commonly abused drugs is marijuana (mbanje), bronclear (popularly known as Bronco) and Histalix D.

Bronco is also widely used by street kids and rank marshals (mahwindi). A local anti-drug abuse lobby group, Anti-Drug Abuse Association of Zimbabwe (Adaaz) says drug abuse in the country, just like anywhere in the world, has increased in the past two decades.

Adaaz acting director Brilliant Mushipe fears that Zimbabwe could turn from being a transit point for dangerous drugs to becoming a fully-fledged consumer if corrective measures are not taken immediately.

The association refers at least 10 drug addicts to hospitals and psychiatrists every month, he said.

"Though there is no comprehensive statistical data on drug abuse, informal surveys and arrests by police show that the trend is going," said Mushipe, whose association advocates for a drug-free community.

Since the beginning of this year, police in Nyamapanda Border Post alone have impounded two tonnes of mbanje, which drug peddlers intended to smuggle into the country.

Last year, police seized 109 kg of cannabis, as well as varying amounts of ecstasy (49 tablets), cocaine (395 grammes) and heroin (5,1 kg). Mushipe said current trends have indicated a shift from the "soft" to hard drugs.

Hard drugs are commonly used by the elite because they are too expensive for the poor.

Police sources said hard drugs were usually consumed at parties in poshy suburbs.

Two weeks ago, two men from Harare's leafy suburb of Glen Lorne died after taking an overdose of cocaine.

Andrew Malcom Ross and Norman Scott, both 35, died at Parirenyatwa Hospital where they had been taken after taking an over dose of the drug.

Apart from being consumers, Zimbabweans are increasingly being used as traffickers of hard drugs all over the world, said Mushipe, who attributed this phenomenon to poverty and the "get-rich-quick" mentality.

With unemployment topping 80% in the country, the problem is set to continue as the poor are driven into doing anything for survival.

The World Drug Report (WDR) 2010, released in June this year says Zimbabweans constituted 1% of people from different nationalities who trafficked hard drugs into Pakistan in 2008.

Nigerians and Tanzanians constituted 32% and 4% respectively. Pakistan is a major producer of opium and is also a transit route for drugs from Afghanistan, which is the world's largest producer of banned drugs. Mushipe called for urgent intervention of governments to curb drug trafficking.

"There is a need to keep strong, non-stop and effective prevention measures in progress if any nation is to stand against the drug dilemma."

The Minister of Health and Child Welfare Henry Madzorera had also expressed the same sentiments while officiating at this year's International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking commemorations.

He said there was need to come up with educational campaigns to deal with the scourge of trafficking and use of narcotics.

In recent years, a number of Zimbabweans have been arrested in other countries while smuggling hard drugs for a small fee.

Among the most commonly abused or trafficked drugs are marijuana, barbiturates, cocaine and heroin.

Two years ago, three Zimbabwean women were sentenced to death in China for trafficking cocaine and heroin while another five were given life sentences after being found with varying amounts of the banned drugs.

Mushipe said the influx of foreigners in the country has exposed Zimbabweans to hard drugs.

Some foreigners, he said, use Zimbabwe as a transit point to their drug markets in the Southern African region, Asia and Europe.

Just two months ago, two Tanzanians and a South African were arrested in Karoi after allegedly swallowing cocaine capsules which they were allegedly trafficking to South Africa.

The state said Juma Ally Juma and Masumbuko Abdallah Munguni allegedly received 96 and 63 cocaine capsules respectively, valued at $203 810, while Francis William joined them on their way to South Africa via Lusaka, Zambia. The WDR says Africa is both a market and a staging point for other destinations.

It says African traffickers "have created two networks: a supply network from Pakistan to Africa and a redistribution network from Africa to Europe and North America and elsewhere."

In destination markets like Europe, West African networks rely on their respective diaspora as a base for their activities (importation and retail distribution of heroin).

Police CID national spokesperson Augustine Zimbili said Zimbabwe was being used as a transit point by drug traffickers who sell their drugs in other markets across the world.

He however said in the process of being used as a transit point by drug peddlers, "there would obviously be some drops" that would be consumed locally.

Zimbili dismissed claims of increased drug trafficking and consumption in the country saying the cases appear to have increased because of the alertness of the police.

"There has not been an increase," said Zimbili. "This is only because of the efficiency and effectiveness of our expertise in detecting cases of drug trafficking."

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