By Rex Mphisa
MATABELELAND South’s fight against Drugs and Substance abuse is affected by poor funding with only $5 000 having been mobilised against a US$250 000 target.
This is against a runaway substance abuse across the province and Zimbabwe as a whole.
At a meeting to take stock of progress made by the Province in addressing the scourge, strengthen stakeholder coordination, assess progress under the various intervention pillars, Matabeleland South Minister of Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe said he was disappointed by the amount raised to date.
Presiding over the provincial Drug and Substance Abuse Stakeholder Meeting in Gwanda Nguluvhe said the fight against the scourge should now move from the drawing board to action.
He was addressing officials from the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works, ZINWA, CCPN, CMED, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of Mines and Mining Development, Zimbabwe Republic Police, Ministry of Health and Child Care, universities, the business community, churches and other stakeholders.
The engagement was to review progress by the province in addressing drug and substance abuse, strengthen stakeholder coordination, assess progress under the various intervention pillars and prepare Matabeleland South for the forthcoming visit by the National Drug and Substance Abuse Task Force.
After updates from the pillars of Supply Reduction, Demand Reduction, Harm Reduction, Community Reintegration, Media and Communication, and Resource Mobilisation, as well as progress regarding the establishment of the Gwanda Rehabilitation Centre, Nguluvhe did not hide his disappointment.
We must move beyond meetings, plans and pledges towards concrete interventions that protect our young people, rehabilitate those affected and build drug-free, healthy and resilient communities across Matabeleland South,” said Nguluvhe.
He said he was concerned over the limited mobilisation of resources towards provincial interventions. Against a target of US$250,000 set in the previous year, only US$5,000 was deposited into the Provincial Drug and Substance Abuse account.
“Stakeholders must ensure that commitments and pledges are translated into tangible financial, material and technical support,” he said.
Matabeleland South’s major priority is the completion and operationalisation of the Gwanda Rehabilitation Centre at the former Phakama TB Clinic, currently undergoing renovations estimated at US$145 842
Nguluvhe asked stakeholders to support the completion of the facility so that affected individuals can access rehabilitation and reintegration services within the Province.
The Province remains committed to strengthening coordination, information sharing, implementation, monitoring and reporting across all Drug and Substance Abuse pillars, while mobilising the resources required to translate strategies into meaningful interventions at community level.
Zimbabwe is tackling a severe surge in drug and substance abuse—affecting an estimated 1 in 30 households—through a multi-sectoral strategy emphasizing tougher legal penalties, aggressive police crackdowns, community-level prevention, and expanded public health rehabilitation facilities.
It has set up national, provincial and district task forces against the scourge.