By Jonathan Mbiriyamveka
HARARE – When Margaret Madyara, on behalf of Honourable Senator Charles Zvidzayi Tawengwa, stood to welcome the Heal US Zimbabwe walkathon team, she did not just offer words of praise.
She laid bare the terrifying statistics that define Zimbabwe’s drug crisis.
Behind the applause for the walkers is a sobering reality: the country is in the grips of an epidemic that is overwhelming its health system, fuelling crime, and threatening its future.
The numbers paint a stark picture. According to the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan 2024-2030, approximately 60% of all psychiatric admissions in the country are directly linked to drug abuse.
This figure represents shattered minds, broken families, and an immense strain on the healthcare system.
The prevalence of drug and substance abuse stood at an alarming national average of 37% in 2023.
In some demographics, the situation is even more dire, with surveys indicating that as many as 57% of youths may be abusing substances.
This means millions of Zimbabweans, directly or indirectly, are affected by a crisis that President Emmerson Mnangagwa has declared a national emergency.
The Scourge on the Ground: ‘Mutoriro’ and ‘Mbanje’
The statistics are given a human face by the specific substances wreaking havoc. Crystal methamphetamine, known locally as “mutoriro,” “dombo,” or “guka,” has emerged as a pervasive menace.
Its affordability—sometimes as low as US$1—has made it dangerously accessible, fuelling a surge in addiction that destroys lives and futures with alarming speed.
Marijuana (“mbanje“) remains widely abused, often seen as a gateway to more potent substances.
The non-medical use of controlled medicines like codeine-containing cough syrups (such as “broncleer”) is also on the rise, creating a new front in this battle that is often easily accessible and deceptively dangerous.
The crisis is not limited to urban centres; it has spread to rural townships and growth points.
The Government’s Multi-Sectoral Response
In response to the escalating threat to public health, economic growth, and national security, the government has approved and is implementing the comprehensive Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan 2024-2030.
The plan is a strategic roadmap built on seven pillars: Supply Reduction, Demand Reduction, Harm Reduction, Treatment and Rehabilitation, Community Reintegration, Policy and Legal Enforcement, and Media and Communication.
Tangible progress is being made on the enforcement front. Recent government reports indicate that nearly 3,000 accused persons have been arraigned before the courts, with 381 convictions secured.
A total of 453 drug suppliers and 2,436 end-users have been arrested, and 31 drug bases have been dismantled in targeted districts.
In the first quarter of 2026 alone, a significant number of illegal drug trading bases were identified and destroyed.
The government is also working to disrupt supply chains and has established specialised Drug and Substance Abuse Courts to ensure swift justice for traffickers, with a focus on rehabilitation for users.
Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi noted that “magistrates and prosecutors are on the front line of our justice system” and require specialised knowledge to handle drug-related cases.
The state-owned mobile network operator NetOne, which is sponsoring the Heal US Zimbabwe walkathon, has framed its involvement as part of this national effort.
The company’s CEO stated, “NetOne believes that connectivity is not only about technology but also about connecting people to opportunities, hope and a better future.
“Heal Us Zimbabwe connects us to the ground reality. They tell us what works, what hurts, and what gives young people a reason to choose life”.
A Call for a Whole-of-Society Approach
Despite these efforts, the government acknowledges it cannot win this battle alone. The national plan explicitly calls for a whole-of-society approach, mobilising resources from the private sector, civil society, and international partners.
Officials have noted that “the police cannot solve drug and substance abuse without support from health services, and health services cannot rehabilitate addicts without community support”.
As the Heal US Zimbabwe team continues its walk to Harare, their journey serves as a powerful reminder that the crisis is ultimately a human one.
Their footsteps echo the silent cries of countless families yearning for liberation from this destructive grip, while the government’s policies provide the strategic framework for a fight that experts say requires the collective will of an entire nation.
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