Mutoriro user found dead

AN unknown man was found dead in unclear circumstances at Lake Chivero at the weekend after he had gate-crashed a memorial service while consuming illicit substances.

The body of the man was taken to a local hospital mortuary for post-mortem.

Investigations revealed that the man gatecrashed the memorial service on Saturday at around 8pm, and his body was found the following morning.

A report was made to the police who are still investigating.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident.

“The ZRP is investigating the circumstances in which an unknown man gatecrashed a memorial service at Lake Chivero while taking mutoriro/musombodhiya on October 2, 2021 at 8pm.

“He was later found dead in the yard the following morning,” he said.

This comes after reports that abuse of the dangerous drug called crystal methamphetamine, commonly known as “mutoriro”, “dombo” or “guka”, by youths has reached alarming levels with at least 100 young men and women appearing at the Harare Magistrates Court in the past three months.

The rise in cases where people are dealing in dangerous drugs is blamed for the surge in cases of drug-induced mental illnesses.

Most of the people developing mental illnesses from the drug are not in hospital or being treated as outpatients, but are seen roaming the streets while others are behaving abnormally at shopping centres.

In most communities, young boys and girls who abuse the dangerous drugs have changed their behaviour, but remain part of the community until the illness becomes more pronounced.

They are only taken to psychiatric units when they turn violent, show suicidal tendencies or cause problems to others.

At the Harare Magistrates Court, the cases now come daily, a development that prompted the authorities to allocate them to the Special Anti- Corruption Court, which has handled at least 100 cases since July, of either possessing crystal meth or abusing it.

Although drug addicts may abuse other dangerous drugs like dagga, ganja cakes, a prohibited cough syrup called Bronc Cleer (bronco) and illicit beers, crystal meth is dominating the serious end of the drug abuse spectrum.

Of the 100 or so cases involving crystal meth seen at Harare Magistrates Court over the past three months, 23 involved women.