Two senior cabinet ministers have now openly accused influential figures within Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu PF party of being involved in drug trafficking, a development that has sent shockwaves through the country’s political landscape and exposed rare public divisions at the highest levels of power.
Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe recently made the explosive claim that some senior Zanu PF officials are abusing their political positions to peddle drugs. His remarks have drawn widespread attention because they directly echo similar allegations made just months earlier by Youth Empowerment and Development Minister Tino Machakaire, marking an unprecedented moment in which serving ministers publicly implicate their own party’s leadership in organised criminal activity.
According to reports by the Daily News Zimbabwe, Kazembe alleged that senior party officials are deeply embedded in the illicit drug trade. Such accusations, coming from a minister whose portfolio includes national security and law enforcement, have intensified concerns about the scale of the crisis and the extent to which criminal networks may be protected from within the state itself. Observers say the claims suggest a troubling contradiction: those entrusted with safeguarding citizens may instead be profiting from a trade that is devastating communities, particularly the youth.
Kazembe Raises Alarm Over Alleged Drug Involvement by Senior ZANU PF Officials
Kazembe’s statement did not emerge in isolation. It builds on a bold and highly unusual intervention by Machakaire earlier in the year. On 5 September 2025, Machakaire stunned party members and the wider public when he addressed a Zanu PF inter-district meeting in Hwange and accused senior figures of using the ruling party as a cover for illegal activities.
In a speech that quickly went viral, Machakaire accused unnamed “bigwigs” within Zanu PF of being directly involved in selling drugs. He went further to demand their immediate arrest, arguing that the party should not shield individuals who are destroying the country’s future. His comments were widely seen as a direct challenge to powerful interests within the party and sparked intense debate about accountability and internal reform.
Kazembe’s later remarks have reinforced Machakaire’s claims, turning what initially appeared to be an isolated outburst into a pattern of allegations from within cabinet itself. Together, the two ministers’ statements have exposed a rare public rift over an issue that strikes at the heart of governance, law enforcement, and moral authority.
These political revelations come at a time when Zimbabwe is grappling with a worsening drug and substance abuse crisis. Communities across the country have reported rising cases of addiction, crime, and mental health breakdowns linked to drugs, with young people bearing the brunt of the damage.
A 2025 Afrobarometer survey underscores the depth of the problem, revealing that a majority of Zimbabweans believe drug and substance abuse is widespread in their local communities. The findings reflect a growing sense of alarm among citizens, many of whom feel the crisis has spiralled beyond control.
The impact on young people has been particularly severe. Statistics show that youths aged between 16 and 25 account for approximately 80 percent of drug-related psychiatric admissions nationwide. Health professionals and social commentators have increasingly compared the social devastation caused by drugs to the HIV and AIDS epidemic that ravaged Zimbabwe in the 1990s, warning that the long-term consequences could be just as profound if decisive action is not taken.
In response to the escalating crisis, authorities say they have intensified enforcement efforts. Official figures indicate that between March and June 2025, the government carried out 206 drug-related raids and arrested 1,445 suspects. While these numbers suggest a robust crackdown, critics argue that such efforts are undermined if powerful individuals involved in the trade remain untouchable.
The allegations by Kazembe and Machakaire appear to support claims that drug trafficking in Zimbabwe is sustained by protected networks. Investigative journalist Hopewell Chin’ono has weighed in on the controversy, arguing that the problem reaches the highest levels of power. He said the drug trade survives because it is “protected, financed, and normalised by powerful figures who benefit from it, while young people and communities are destroyed.”
Chin’ono also claimed that some individuals involved in distributing drugs are “so-called slay queens” who pose as legitimate businesswomen while acting as runners within the illicit network.
The unfolding scandal stands in stark contrast to the government’s own multi-sectoral strategy to combat drug and substance abuse, which emphasises prevention, rehabilitation, and law enforcement. As senior ministers level accusations against their own party colleagues, many Zimbabweans are left questioning whether the state has the political will to confront the crisis honestly and dismantle the networks allegedly operating from within its ranks.
Source- iHarare
