Dangerous mix of gold and drugs

THE first thing that confronts visitors entering Penhalonga is the thick haze of red dust hanging over endless rows of blue plastic shacks and makeshift wooden cabins.

Dust settles on walls, clothes, vegetables and faces, while ramshackle tuckshops patched together with rusted zinc sheets line the roadside.

From a distance, the cabins appear ordinary, selling bread, cooking oil and soft drinks. But behind the counters, another trade quietly flourishes.

Marijuana wrapped in small sachets changes hands within seconds, bottles of cough syrup disappear into satchels, and illicit homemade alcohol is sold in reused containers.

Young men with mud-caked boots drift in and out of the cabins, many fresh from dangerous illegal gold mining shafts where they spend days underground.

Once known for its rich gold deposits and scenic mountain slopes, Penhalonga, near Mutare, is increasingly being associated with drug and substance abuse.

The mining settlement has emerged as one of Manicaland Province's major drug hotspots alongside Odzi, Sakubva, Birchenough Bridge, Hauna, Murambinda and Chimbike.

Residents say drugs have become deeply embedded in the culture of illegal gold mining, with many miners using substances to cope with exhaustion, fear and harsh underground conditions.

An illegal miner, speaking anonymously, said drug use had become common among artisanal miners.

"You cannot survive down there without something to keep you going. We work underground for long hours without proper food or sleep. Some shafts are frightening and very dangerous. Marijuana helps people calm down while broncleer gives others the energy to keep digging," he said.

"You come here looking for gold and find people already smoking or drinking dangerous things. At first you think you are strong enough to avoid it, but after some weeks underground, most people end up joining in. Some say it removes fear. Others say it helps them forget problems at home."

At illegal mining sites near Redwing Mine, miners scramble for traces of gold beneath unstable rock formations and collapsing shafts.

Another artisanal miner, Farai Chikomo, said many miners turn to drugs after witnessing accidents and deaths underground.

"People take drugs to forget hunger and fear. They do this to brave the trenches. Some shafts collapse while people are inside. Some miners die underground. After seeing such things, others turn to drugs completely," he said.

Women selling food, airtime and vegetables along muddy footpaths admit that drug dealing has become widespread within the settlement due to poverty and unemployment.

A food vendor identified as Charity Katsama, known locally as Mai Tino, said many vendors secretly sell drugs because of high demand from miners.

"I do not sell marijuana, but I know most vendors do because sadza alone cannot feed their families' children. The panners always ask for marijuana or cough syrup when they approach a vendor, and if you refuse, they simply go to another stall," she said.

"Most of them come tired and shaking from cold or exhaustion. They buy food and ask quietly for the substance. Some are very young."

Residents say the drug trade has become increasingly visible, with several suspects recently appearing in court on drug-related charges.

Earlier this year, a Penhalonga vendor, Tanatswa Nyambuya (25), was convicted of unlawful dealing in dangerous drugs after being found in possession of marijuana.

In another case, Jonathan Tembo (47) and his son, Godknows Tembo (32), were arrested after police allegedly discovered dagga hidden underground inside a wooden cabin at the Mbare illegal vending site.

Police said the recovered dagga weighed about two kilogrammes.

Residents say many cabins operate as tuckshops during the day before allegedly transforming into drug-selling points at night.

As darkness falls, music blares from crowded drinking spots while miners gather around fires discussing gold prices and mining accidents.

Local church leader Pastor David Muchengeti warned that drug abuse is increasingly affecting children and young people in the area.

"Drug abuse is destroying families here. We are seeing boys dropping out of school because they want fast money from gold panning. Once they enter that life, many start using drugs," he said.

"Some young people want help, but there are no proper rehabilitation centres nearby."

Misheck Mugadza said Government recognises drug abuse as a growing public health and security concern.

"Penhalonga was among the identified drug hotspots, and this problem is increasingly impacting our youths, not only undermining public health, safety and national productivity, but also becoming a security threat," said Mugadza.

"The Government recognises drug dependence as a public health condition requiring care, treatment and support."

He said authorities were intensifying awareness campaigns and establishing rehabilitation centres across districts to improve access to treatment and aftercare services.

For many residents, the planned interventions offer hope that Penhalonga can gradually recover from the combined effects of illegal mining, poverty and substance abuse.