DRUG REHAB CENTRE FOR CHI-TOWN

CHITUNGWIZA Town Council is set to establish a drug rehabilitation centre to assist the community by treating drug and substance abuse patients.

This was said by Chitungwiza Ward 16 councillor, Michael Mukashi, when he spoke at the drug and substance abuse awareness campaign and march on Saturday.

It was hosted by the Roman Catholic Church’s St Monica Sub Parish in Unit P, Chitungwiza.

The drug and substance abuse campaign ran under the theme “Sarudza Hupenyu Madrugs Rufu”.

“Here in Chitungwiza, we have a challenge because we don’t have a rehabilitation centre, as Council we have plans to establish a rehabilitation centre so that we may assist the community,” he said.

“Soon, you will hear us announcing that all the people facing drug and substance abuse problems can be assisted at our rehabilitation centre.”

He said the local authority convened a meeting and agreed to make full use of idle Council property to set up the rehabilitation centre, for the benefit of the community.

“We kindly ask the ZRP to help us by all means possible, the way you operate needs to be upscaled,” he said.

“Drug and substance issues are not underground issues.

“Drugs are being sold in the communities and we know the bases where they operate from, around snooker tables, under the shade and in car parks and elsewhere.”

Mukashi said most drugs and substances bases and suppliers in the suburbs were known to the police.

“The problem is that you are releasing them very quickly, at times without any punishment, some of them don’t even get to court,” he said.

“In Ward 16, I have told the police all the bases which supply drugs and substances and they carry out raids yet I suspect there are moles that notify the guys that the police are coming to raid because the police seem to always be a step behind.”