Police Destroy Illicit Drugs at Sally Mugabe Hospital

Zimbabwean police incinerated over 83 kg of dagga, crystal meth, and counterfeit products at Sally Mugabe Hospital, as part of a national crackdown on drug trafficking and illicit goods (image source)

Harare’s law enforcement agencies incinerated over 83 kg of dagga, 174.6 g of crystal meth, 75 kg of illicit skin–lightening creams, 1.8 kg of contraband whisky, and 256.9 L of unregistered medicines at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital on 06 October, following court orders to dispose of seized narcotics and counterfeit products.

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) coordinated the disposal after magistrates convicted several drug peddlers and counterfeit–goods traffickers earlier this month. ZRP spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said officers oversaw the transfer of evidence from police stations nationwide before supervising the burn at the hospital’s high–temperature incinerators.

Assistant Commissioner Nyathi emphasised that the operation formed part of “ongoing efforts to combat drug abuse and illegal trafficking across Zimbabwe,” assuring the public that no hospital staff or patients were put at risk during the controlled burn.

Civil society groups welcomed the display of judicial follow-through but warned that routine burn events alone will not curb supply chains. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s World Drug Report 2025, Southern Africa remains a transit corridor for methamphetamine, heroine and synthetic compounds destined for Europe and Asia.

Local anti-narcotics advocate Precious Chireka of the Zimbabwe Anti–Narcotics Network called for sustained border patrols and investment in forensic capacity. “Every high-profile incineration must be matched by prosecutions of kingpins,” she said. “Too often small-time dealers bear the brunt while organised rings go free.” Eyewitnesses at Sally Mugabe Hospital described strict perimeter controls. “Police cordoned off the incinerator yard at dawn,” said hospital janitor Tendai Mupfurutsa. “By 10 a.m., all substances were reduced to ash. It was thorough, but solemn.”

Zimbabwe’s courts have issued nearly 150 drug–related disposal orders so far in 2025, reflecting a 12 percent rise from last year, according to the National Prosecuting Authority’s quarterly report. The proliferation of unregistered skin–lightening creams—often laced with mercury—has also become a public health crisis in urban and rural areas alike.

Authorities plan a stakeholders’ summit in Bulawayo on 20 October to review anti-drugs strategies across the country.