“Senior ZANU PF Figures Involved In Drug Trafficking”

Youth Empowerment and Development Minister and ZANU PF politburo member, Tinomudaishe Machakaire, has alleged that some senior ruling party officials are involved in drug smuggling and distribution, using the party as a shield for protection.

He made the remarks while addressing a ZANU PF inter-district meeting in Hwange recently. Said Machakaire:

“It’s high time we call a spade a spade. Drugs are killing us. Drugs are destroying our nation.”

According to a 2025 Afrobarometer survey, most Zimbabweans believe drug and substance abuse is widespread in their communities.

The problem is particularly acute among young people aged 16 to 25, who account for 80% of drug-related psychiatric admissions.

Many observers have likened the crisis to the HIV epidemic of the 1990s, noting that almost every household has been touched by addiction in some way.

In response, the government has stepped up its crackdown, conducting 206 raids and making 1,445 arrests between March and June 2025.

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