Concerns raised by legislators over the consumption and sale of illicit brews known as Tumbwa are loud and clear.
They come at a time when the nation is fighting drug and substance abuse, which has claimed many lives.
At the moment, the sale and consumption of crystal meth, known as mutoriro, has been quite topical.
Officials have been desperate to establish the distribution chain of mutoriro, from supplier right up to the point when it is sold on our streets and communities.
A collective effort is needed, among stakeholders, to ensure that action is taken to halt the slide of tens of thousands of our people into addiction when it comes to these drugs.
And, refreshingly, we have seen more legislators outing an effort to raise awareness around issues related to the cancer of drug and substance abuse in this country.
There is no question at all that there has been a significant increase in the number of our people who are abusing these drugs, including the illicit brew, known as Tumbwa.
This has spread from the urban areas into our rural areas and if we don’t collectively fight it, as one united nation, then we have to be prepared to deal with the consequences that come with consumption of these drugs and abuse of these substances.
It has also been noted that the number of mental cases have been on the increase and most of them, according to experts, have links to drug and substance abuse.
The illicit brew, which is a mixture of brownish stuff with ethanol or methanol, is believed to have 60 percent alcohol and costs US$1 for three little bottles.
At a dollar, one can get highly intoxicated, and many people now find it a cheaper way of slipping into their imaginary world.
Rushinga Member of Parliament, Tendai Nyabani and his counterpart for Tsholotsho South, Musa Ncube, recently raised their concerns in Parliament.
Justice, Legal, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Ziyambi Ziyambi also blamed the consumption and sale of Tumbwa for the mushrooming of illegal shops everywhere.
Minister Ziyambi’s observation should give leads to law enforcement agents like the police to do their jobs.
The police, in partnership with the municipal cops, should carry out random searches at places where they suspect that these illicit brews are being sold.
People selling this stuff should face the music.
The truth is that the people who sell these drugs are known in most of our communities.
Many have been arrested, in the past, and after paying a fine they went back to their illegal activities.
They are inspired by the reality that even if they are arrested, they will just pay a small fine and then are released to continue with their old ways.
So, in a way, it’s some sort of a vicious cycle.
What is needed is to break the distribution chain and, if we are really genuine, when it comes to confronting this menace, we know it’s something we can do overnight.
