CHINHOYI legislator Leslie Mhangwa has called for the establishment of a national crack team made up of police and army personnel to deal with Zimbabwe’s rising drug and substance abuse crisis.
Speaking during a pre-budget seminar in Bulawayo last week, Mhangwa said the policing system had failed to stem the tide of drug peddling and smuggling.
He also accused some local law enforcement officers of working in cahoots with drug peddlers.
“Let’s have a crack team composed of the police and army that goes around the country unannounced, busting known drug and substance bases because the local police are compromised as they work with drug peddlers,” he said.
The outspoken MP urged Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion minister Mthuli Ncube to allocate adequate resources to the proposed unit.
“The crack team must be well resourced by Treasury,” Mhangwa said.
Responding to the proposal, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage minister Kazembe Kazembe said the government was considering similar measures as part of broader efforts to combat drug trafficking and abuse.
“It is true, a crack team should be set up and start doing the job while waiting for the Drug and Substance Abuse Control Agency Bill to be passed,” he said.
However, some analysts have expressed scepticism about the proposed team, arguing that involving soldiers and police may not yield the desired results given persistent allegations of corruption within the security sector.
Critics point out that some officers are accused of facilitating drug smuggling by allowing traffickers to pass through border posts.
As the nation awaits the 2026 national budget, Mhangwa’s proposal adds urgency to the growing demand for a coordinated and uncompromising approach to tackling drug abuse, a scourge that continues to destroy lives across the country.
