By Marshall Bwanya
HARARE –Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has unveiled a sweeping anti-drug campaign that will see the Harare City Council (HCC) partner with churches, residents’ associations, police, and civil society in a bid to stem rampant drug and substance abuse gripping the capital.
Speaking at Town House on Friday, Mafume described drug abuse as a “toxic epidemic” destroying families and communities.
Mafume said the anti-drug campaign will include a cocktail of measures, among them the establishment of a dedicated hotline for residents and whistleblowers to anonymously report drug hotspots.
“Yes, we will create a hotline out of this process.
“We’ll make sure that we work with the community, the residents’ associations, and in particular, the churches,” Mafume said.
“People know the drug dens, but they are silenced by fear.
“This hotline will allow whistleblowers to tip us off without reprisals,” added Mafume.
The city’s new measures come as public outrage over drug-related crime intensifies, following the harrowing rape of a three-year-old girl at a Warren Park drug den recently.
The case has reignited calls for tougher crackdowns on substance abuse.
Partnership with First Lady’s Angel of Hope
Mafume highlighted that the City of Harare is working closely with First Lady Dr. Auxillia Mnangagwa’s Angel of Hope Foundation, which recently opened a drug rehabilitation centre at Stodart Arena, a site long associated with drug misuse and youth vulnerability.
The centre accommodates 200 patients and offers a holistic programme combining medical treatment, counselling, education, and structured physical activity.
“We are working very well with the First Lady through Angel of Hope.
“The Stodart Hall rehabilitation centre is already taking in over 200 addicts and giving them proper treatment, not just prayers or punishment,” Mafume said.
Focus on CBD drug hubs
The mayor also pledged a renewed assault on Harare’s Central Business District, which he said had become a hub for drug peddling.
“We are going to target areas in the CBD that have been turned into drug hubs.
“These are places where our youth are being destroyed, and we will shut them down,” Mafume declared.
The campaign will be launched in Kuwadzana 6 on September 17, 2025, an area identified as a drug hotspot where substance abuse has fuelled violent crime and delinquency in recent years.
A broader national battle
The local campaign complements national efforts.
In June, Information Minister Jenfan Muswere announced that the government had begun deploying drones at border posts to curb drug smuggling.
Between March and June, law enforcement agencies carried out 206 raids nationwide, dismantled 39 drug bases, and arrested 1,445 suspects.
But despite these efforts, drug abuse remains pervasive.
HCC’s drug and substance abuse taskforce includes Councillor Charlotte Mukarati and Choice Mpofu, from ZANU PF and CCC respectively.
Mafume said the bipartisan approach was motivated by the fact that drug- and substance-abuse-induced crime, delinquency, and health issues were cross-cutting, affecting all parties and all social classes.
“The moment you create partisan lines on it, you lose the plot. It is almost like HIV.
“You can get it, no matter the status of your political affiliation,” said Mafume.
“On the ground, the crisis is worsening,” Mafume conceded, warning that the problem transcends politics.
“You will have a drug addict in your family whether you are a bigwig or an ordinary person.
“We must confront this epidemic together, without partisan blinders,” added Mafume.
Restoring safe spaces
Mafume said the city will reclaim public spaces such as Harare Gardens, which have been overtaken by drug users.
“We want Harare Gardens to once again be a garden of beauty, not a garden of despair.
“A lot of people used to fall in love in the Harare Gardens, sing to each other, write poems, and so forth, and a number of hearts were also broken.
“We want to have such an atmosphere again so that people do not despair,” said Mafume.
The mayor also promised budget allocations for more rehabilitation centres, community officers, and youth sports programmes to keep young people engaged.
