Residents called to bust drug rings

Simba Jemwa, Sunday News Correspondent
IT’S seven o’clock in the morning and bleary-eyed drug addicts are filing into the tyre repair shop along 4th Avenue in Bulawayo for their first hit of the day.

Most businesses are closed at this time, but business was booming at the notorious 24-hour “barn­yard” drug den.

The drug deal­ers openly ply their trade, while users drive in and out, some staying for a fix while others leave to go elsewhere.

Bulawayo res­i­dents say this drug den has been at the heart of the Bulawayo drug trade for sev­eral years. Various types of drugs are sold bla­tantly from within the tyre repair shop.

After seeing no action being taken against this and other “well-connected” drug-peddlers operating with impunity in the city, some residents from both high and low-density suburbs in the city are considering setting up specialist drug watch committees.

The city has become infested with drug users leading to residents resolving to take matters into their own hands to curb the menace.

Residents of Bulawayo are prepared to fight against drug peddlers and have vowed to eradicate the menace from the metropolis. Bulawayo has earned notoriety for being the hub of illicit liquor and drug trade. Currently the police, through the narcotics division of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), are spearheading the fight against the drug-pushers in the city.

“We cannot keep allowing this situation to prevail. Our children are dying because of drugs. We think maybe it’s time for us to set up drug watch committees to gather information about these people who are selling drugs to our children,” said one resident.

“We need to sup­port our local po­lice of­fi­cers. I am sure some po­lice know all the drug dens and deal­ers by name, but I wonder what the stumbling block is. The sale of drugs is vis­i­ble to the naked eye, but it seems nobody can shut them down. The pub­lic has lost hope,” said another city resident from Queens Park West.

Sam Nyathi from Makokoba told this publication that the police must help residents to establish Anti-Drug Fo­rums (ADF) across the city. He said deal­ers were op­er­at­ing with carte blanche.

Nyathi said there is a need for dis­cussions between residents and the po­lice to work towards capacitating the specialised drug units and equip them with re­sources to get convictions in court.

“More money needs to be filtered through for a drug unit. Local police stations are inadequately equipped to deal with the drug trade. We urge residents of Bulawayo to be proactive and setting up ADFs will go a long way to getting the ball rolling. There is a concerted effort by some dedicated cops to make an impact, but we need the community to play its part too. Community activity is important,” Nyathi said.

Janet Nxumalo, another Bulawayo resident, claimed her 35-year-old son is hooked on drugs. Now, her two younger children were also addicted.

“They are only 25 and 19. They ask for money and if they don’t get it, they fight. Something needs to be done. As a people in Bulawayo, we must put a stop to this problem that is chewing into our society,” she rued.

Police spokesperson for Bulawayo, Inspector Abednico Ncube welcomed this initiative. He said police were willing to work with such a forum as the ADF.

“Any community effort to fight drugs or any crime is welcome. Once such a forum is formed, we as police are prepared to work with it. Our mandate with regard to drug abuse is to solve the menace. We actually invite individuals or co-operates to expose drug dealers, both peddlers and end users,” Inspector Ncube told Sunday News. – @RealSimbaJemwa