- Welsh Tachivona
Minister of Defence Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has said drug and substance abuse is a serious threat to the country’s Vision 2030.
Her remarks were delivered on her behalf by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe during the opening of the National Committee on Drug and Substance Sub National Structures Workshop in Kwekwe.
Muchinguri-Kashiri said that drug-related crimes, violence, and instability could undermine the progress made in education, healthcare, and economic development.
“Drug and substance abuse is not just a policy issue but a matter that strikes at the heart of our nation’s social fabric and of course the very vision of our President, His Excellency Dr. E.D. Mnangagwa, that of attaining a prosperous upper-middle-income society by the year 2030,” she said.
She called for unity across all sectors to comprehensively tackle the drug and substance abuse crisis.
“As leaders at the national and provincial levels, we are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that we do not allow drug and substance abuse to derail the progress and development that we are making as a government,” she said.
The minister advocated for a multi-sectoral, whole-of-government, and whole-of-society approach, as outlined in the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan 2024-2030.
“The plan clearly spells out the significant and specialized roles each of you has to play in ensuring the success of these pillars,” she added.
She said there is need for cooperation among law enforcement agencies, border security, and the judiciary to disrupt the flow of illicit drugs into the country.
