By Margaret Kamba 

Visionary Cadres Association of Zimbabwe VICAZ Harare Provincial Chairperson Cde Memory Revesai says more needs to be done in order to address the drug and substance abuse menace currently bedevilling Zimbabwe.

The organization has been conducting Community Engagement Programmes in Harare's suburbs among them, Mabvuku, Kuwadzana, Budiriro as well as Seke in a move aimed at understanding how communities are dealing with drugs and substance abuse.

Many homes have been shattered thanks to the vice which has witnessed a booming industry and the possibility of an extinct generation.

Speaking about their findings, Cde Revesai said gaps within the law on drugs are some of the challenges enabling the menace.

"In our engagement with the various communities, there are similarities in concerns raised, among them, a weak social support system, moral degradation, gaps in the law in terms of the types of drugs and none if not a handful of functional recreational facilities among others," she said.

"From our gatherings, 90 percent of those we meet are affected by this menace. Either they have a child or sister or a cousin suffering from drug and substance abuse and look to us for a solution. They are living in fear for their lives and have no one to turn to as those they think are meant to protect them seem to be in the distribution chain.

"As an organization, we feel that the current system of dealing with the menace needs to change. Stiffer penalties must be a deterrent factor."

She added that " research and studies must be done to understand the trends of how the drugs come in, how they are distributed and everything associated with it so that a solution can be found."

She added that "the knowledge gap between the person in an office and the reality happening on the ground must the reduced coupled with trainings on how to handle the situation are crucial in the fight against this problem."