Rehabilitation Centres Commissioned as Government Vows Crackdown on Drug Peddlers

Zimbabwe commissions new rehabilitation centres in Harare as government intensifies arrests of drug peddlers, expanding testing, treatment and overdose response under a multi-sectoral anti-drug strategy (image source)

HARARE — Three new rehabilitation centres were commissioned in Harare on Thursday as government, working with partner organisations, intensified efforts to confront Zimbabwe’s escalating drug and substance abuse crisis. The development is being matched by a renewed commitment to clamp down on drug peddlers and suppliers of illicit substances.

The facilities, commissioned alongside the recently completed Wilkins Rehabilitation Centre, will provide free drug testing, screening and emergency response services. Health officials said each centre has the capacity to screen up to 30 people per day and is equipped to manage overdose emergencies, offering a critical gateway into treatment, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes.

Zimbabwe Red Cross Society representative Dr Joel Tapi described the initiative as a timely intervention. “We have seen the need to partner government in combating the scourge of drug and substance abuse. These facilities will be critical to providing testing and screening and have been capacitated to deal with extreme emergencies such as overdose,” he said.

The commissioning is part of the Drug and Substance Abuse Multi-Sectoral Action Plan launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in June 2024. Speaking on behalf of Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri, Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe said government would intensify supply-reduction efforts alongside treatment and rehabilitation. “We have so far arrested over 32,000 suspects linked to drug and substance abuse and we are not stopping. No one is immune to arrest — even politicians will face the full wrath of the law if caught,” he said.

Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Sleiman Kwidini said government has mobilised drug testing kits worth US$1.2 million and plans to roll out screening services to at least 2,500 institutions nationwide. He said the expansion is intended to ensure equitable access to services across both urban and rural areas, while strengthening referral pathways for treatment and psychosocial support.

The Multi-Sectoral Action Plan is anchored on five pillars: supply reduction, demand reduction, harm reduction, treatment and rehabilitation, and community reintegration. Officials say the approach aims not only to address addiction at an individual level but also to restore families and communities affected by substance abuse.

Community organisations and health advocates welcomed the new facilities but cautioned that enforcement alone will not resolve the crisis. They called for sustained funding, stronger coordination, expanded mental-health services and economic interventions that reduce vulnerability to drug misuse. For survivors seeking help, the centres offer a chance to begin recovery. For government, they mark a visible step toward a comprehensive response, with the challenge now being to convert momentum into lasting systems of care, rights-respecting enforcement and effective prevention.