More than 2 700 people arrested in a nationwide crackdown on drug and substance abuse were under the age of 35, the government says, as authorities step up enforcement and rehabilitation efforts.
Zimbabwe arrested 3 839 people on allegations of drug and substance abuse between 1 June and 19 September 2026, Information Minister Zhemu Soda has said.
Of those arrested, 2 706 were under the age of 35, while authorities destroyed 73 suspected drug bases and seized drugs and substances valued at more than ZW$26.7m, Dr Soda said.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet briefing on Tuesday, he said the government was combining law enforcement with public awareness campaigns, treatment and rehabilitation programmes in an effort to curb drug abuse.
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The substances recovered included crystal methamphetamine, cocaine and cannabis, commonly known as dagga.
Dr Soda said 1 032 accused people had been fined, while 461 were imprisoned for varying periods, with some receiving sentences of up to 15 years.
Authorities also conducted 171 public awareness campaigns during the reporting period.
The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe carried out 285 inspections, resulting in 50 violations being referred to court, he added.
Thousands receive treatment and support
The government is also expanding treatment and rehabilitation services as it seeks to address the impact of drug and substance abuse.
Dr Soda said 3,363 patients received treatment and rehabilitation during the period, including 2 964 men and 399 women. A further 73 patients were reported to have relapsed.
Meanwhile, 5 707 people received psychosocial support, while 1 843 were reached through the toll-free helpline 406.
A total of 594 people were reintegrated into their families and communities after being discharged from the Angel of Hope Foundation and Wilkins Rehabilitation Centres.
The government has also continued refurbishment work at Gwanda and Sakubva Rehabilitation Centres.
Plans are under way to establish a 700-bed Presidential High-Capacity Drug Rehabilitation Centre on a site of about 20 hectares, Dr Soda said.
The proposed facility would combine clinical treatment with psychosocial support, vocational training, agriculture, sport and recreation, and programmes to help recovering patients return to their communities.
The government intends to replicate the model across all 10 provinces.
Prevention programmes target young people
Under its prevention and demand-reduction programmes, the government said it reached 1 393 906 people through awareness campaigns, youth empowerment initiatives, vocational training and livelihood projects.
Of those reached, 814 906 were female, and 579 000 were male.
The government has also trained 71 people from across the provinces to strengthen service provision, while 50 police officers received training in the use of modern breathalysers.
Dr Soda said the measures were intended to address drug abuse through prevention, enforcement and rehabilitation.
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