Late former President Robert Mugabe’s son Robert Junior, 33, is due before a court in Harare after he was arrested on Wednesday for possession of illegal drugs.
He was found in possession of cannabis and cocaine, which is a serious crime in Zimbabwe.
In 2024, cabinet approved an upward review of fines of up to US$400 from US$30 and a jail term of up to two years for those convicted of dealing in drug and substance abuse as Government seeks to combat the vice.
This was said by Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere while delivering a post Cabinet media briefing.
He said Cabinet received a report on National Drug and Substance Abuse Response presented by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
There has been calls for a mandatory sentence on anyone caught dealing in drugs.
Apparently, over the past few years, Zimbabwe has been battling the scourge of illicit drugs and narcotics, which is slowly gnawing at the younger generation.
Recently, the nation was shocked when it emerged that learners at a top girls’ school in Harare had abused drugs during a school trip, leading to the expulsion of eight.
The incident led to a lot of soul searching — and of course action by authorities who literally went on to search drug dens and logistics pipelines.
In Zimbabwe, commonly abused drugs include Codeine; Methamphetamine (crystal meth, commonly known as meth, speed, mutoriro, Chalk, Ice, Crank, Guka; Glue; Broncleer (Bronco); Solvents — Fembo and Genkem; Chlorpromazine — Maragado; Mangemba; Cane spirit; Cocaine, Cannabis/Marijuana/Mbanje (which is mostly abused or traded under a variety of street names such as — Mbanje, Ganja, Dope, Weed, Blunt, Grass, Pot, Boom, Spliff, Mary-Jane, Skunk, Kiff).
According to research, drivers of drug abuse include peer pressure, broken families, emotional and physical abuse, and curiosity, often resulting in addiction.
