Masvingo Youth Leader Claims Drug Dealers Protected by Officials

By Southerton Business Times Reporter, Masvingo

A senior Zanu PF youth official in Masvingo has claimed that the party has names of suspected drug dealers operating in the city, as well as Government officials allegedly receiving bribes to protect them.

Masvingo provincial youth secretary for security Tafara Zhou made the allegations during a joint provincial council meeting attended by senior Government and party officials. The meeting was chaired by Zanu PF Masvingo provincial chairperson Rabson Mavhenyengwa and attended by Provincial Medical Director Dr Amadeus Shamu and Provincial Secretary Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa.

Zhou said the youth wing was prepared to assist authorities in tackling drug and substance abuse but expressed concern over where suspected dealers could safely be reported. “As youth we know and have the names of drug peddlers in the city. We also have names of senior Government officers who are paid fees to protect these peddlers,” Zhou said. “We are ready to assist in the fight against drugs but our dilemma is that the offices where we need to report the criminals are the same offices manned by people receiving drug money.” The allegations have not been independently verified, and Zhou did not publicly identify the officials or alleged drug dealers during the meeting.

Government Promises Action

Zhou's claims came after Dr Pazvakavambwa raised concern over the growing problem of drug and substance abuse in Masvingo. When contacted about the alleged list, Pazvakavambwa said the matter would be taken up by the province's Joint Operations Command (JOC). “We alerted all security departments, and the matter will be addressed in our next JOC meeting. We are not taking this lightly because this can derail our efforts in the fight against drug and substance abuse,” Pazvakavambwa said.

The JOC brings together security agencies and other relevant Government departments to coordinate operations. Zimbabwe Republic Police records indicate that the police participate in Joint Operations Command meetings as part of broader security coordination.

Masvingo Drug Crackdown

The allegations come as authorities continue efforts to combat drug and substance abuse in Masvingo and across Zimbabwe. Masvingo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Ezra Chadzamira said in May that 162 people had been arrested and drugs worth more than US$7 million recovered in the province since January 2026.

Authorities have also stepped up enforcement against illicit medicines in Masvingo. In September, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe, working with the Zimbabwe Republic Police Criminal Investigations Department, reported more than 10 arrests during an operation targeting illegal pharmaceutical sales in the city's central business district.

Nationally, the Government has reported thousands of arrests in its ongoing anti-drug campaign. Official figures presented to Cabinet showed that 3,192 people were arrested between December 9, 2025 and March 15, 2026, with 2,113 taken to court and 493 convicted.

The Harare-Masvingo-Beitbridge corridor has also been identified as a major route used by drug traffickers, with police reporting several arrests and seizures along the highway.

Police Urge Public to Report Drugs

Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Kudakwashe Dhewa urged members of the public with information about drug trafficking and related criminal activity to report it to the police.

He provided the following contacts for tip-offs: 0775 996 945 or 039 226 6778.

Zhou's allegations now place renewed attention on whether suspected drug dealers are being adequately investigated and whether any public officials are facilitating the illegal trade.

However, no Government official has been publicly named or charged in connection with the allegations made at the meeting. The province's JOC is expected to consider the matter, according to Pazvakavambwa.

Masvingo drug dealers