Tinashe Sambiri
ZANU PF has pointed fingers at vendors operating near schools, accusing some of them of being key distributors of illicit drugs to schoolchildren—a claim that has sparked fresh debate about public safety and youth protection in Zimbabwe.
As part of efforts to combat the growing drug abuse crisis among young people, the ZANU PF Harare Province Women’s League Education Department has launched a campaign aimed at curbing the sale of drugs near educational institutions. The party says this initiative is part of a wider strategy to shield students from harmful influences and restore discipline in learning environments.
On Monday, officials from the campaign visited the Borrowdale area near St John’s Educational Trust, where they engaged vendors suspected of operating close to school premises.
“Our research indicates that vendors operating near schools are among the major contributors to the distribution of drugs to our children. We are here today to educate them on the dangers of such actions and to urge them to move to designated vending areas,” said ZANU PF Harare Province Secretary for Youth Affairs, Takura Madziya.
The campaign also responds to disturbing reports from parents alleging that narcotics are being concealed in food items sold to students.
“The issue of drug and substance abuse is now a cancer in our country and the initiative behind is to try and protect our children from the scourge of drug and substance abuse. We have received complaints from parents about the issue of drugs being injected into food items. So we are going throughout the country raising awareness,” said Loice Magweba, Deputy Secretary for Education in the ZANU PF Harare Province Women’s League.
The campaign aligns with the government’s broader anti-drug strategy, which includes the creation of a National Drug and Substance Elimination Committee and the rollout of drug rehabilitation and support centres across Zimbabwe.
ZANU PF maintains that safeguarding the youth from drug abuse is not only a political priority but a national emergency requiring collective action.