Combating drug abuse, trafficking: Zimbabwe to learn from Ghana 

By Edward Dankwah 

Accra, July 16, GNA – Mr Kufa E. Chinoza, the Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Ghana, has paid a courtesy call in Accra, on Major General Maxwell Obuba Mantey, the Director-General of the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC).  

The visit was to formally brief the Commission’s management on a proposed benchmarking mission by Zimbabwe’s soon-to-be established Drug and Substance Abuse Control and Enforcement Agency. 

A statement issued to the Ghana News Agency by the NACOC, said the visit formed part of Zimbabwe’s preparations to operationalise its new national anti-drug agency, which was expected to assume the lead role in coordinating the country’s response to drug trafficking, substance abuse, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation once the enabling legislation comes into force. 

Speaking during the meeting, Mr Chinoza explained that Zimbabwe’s Transition Task Team intended to undertake a benchmarking exercise in selected African countries with established and successful drug control institutions, with Ghana being one of its key destinations. 

He noted that the visit sought to study Ghana’s institutional framework and operational strategies that have earned NACOC continental recognition as one of Africa’s leading drug control agencies. 

“The benchmarking mission will enable Zimbabwe to draw practical lessons from Ghana’s experience in areas including institutional design, governance systems, intelligence-led enforcement, operational models, rehabilitation programmes, border management, international cooperation mechanisms and inter-agency coordination,” he added. 

He said the exercise would lay the foundation for long-term collaboration between the two countries by creating opportunities for technical cooperation, intelligence sharing, capacity building and enhanced law enforcement partnerships in combating transnational organised crime and illicit drug trafficking. 

Mr Chinoza revealed that Ghana’s approach to narcotics control recently received continental recognition during the 13th Africa Security Symposium (ASEC 2026). 

Major General Mantey in his remarks, expressed appreciation to the Government of Zimbabwe for selecting Ghana as one of the countries to benchmark its emerging anti-drug institution. 

He reaffirmed NACOC’s commitment to supporting African countries in strengthening their drug control systems through knowledge sharing and collaboration. 

The Director-General assured the ambassador’s delegation of the Commission’s readiness to share its experiences, operational approaches and best practices in narcotics control. 

He acknowledged that logistics continued to pose a challenge for many drug law enforcement agencies across the continent, however, sustained government commitment and institutional reforms had enabled NACOC to make significant strides in both drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction. 

“While we enforce the law rigorously against drug traffickers, we are equally committed to educating especially our young people to stay away from drugs,” he added. 

Major General Mantey stressed that an effective national drug control strategy must strike a balance between robust law enforcement and sustained public education, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation interventions. 

The meeting reaffirmed the growing cooperation between Ghana and Zimbabwe in addressing the evolving challenges of illicit drug trafficking and substance abuse, underscoring the importance of regional collaboration in building resilient drug control institutions across Africa. 

The proposed benchmarking visit is expected to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries while providing Zimbabwe with valuable insights into Ghana’s integrated and people-centred approach to narcotics control. 

It also reflects the increasing recognition of NACOC’s operational model as a reference point for strengthening drug control governance and inter-agency coordination across the African continent. 

GNA 

Edited by Benjamin Mensah

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