Zim GBC News | Harare Correspondent<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HARARE \u2013 A shocking investigation has uncovered widespread human rights abuses, illegal detentions, and corruption at several prominent drug rehabilitation centres in Zimbabwe, including the Angel of Hope Foundation, patronised by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, and the controversial Matrix Rehabilitation Centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The investigation, supported by the non-profit Information for Development Trust, reveals that victims, some as young as nine, are being arbitrarily rounded up and subjected to military-style torture, forced therapies, and unscientific detoxification methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Illegal Detentions and Deceptive Practices<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the findings, individuals are often lured to these centres under false pretenses, such as being offered a job or collecting goods, only to be locked up without their consent. The Matrix centre in Ruwa, which operates from an unmarked blue building, uses “bouncers” deployed from its Harare CBD office to apprehend suspected drug users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a video testimony, one Matrix detainee revealed the deception:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was told I was going to collect goods sent from abroad. When we arrived, I was then told\u2026 you are under detention. That\u2019s when I realised I had been sold a dummy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although Angel of Hope does not use bouncers, it relies on guardians to persuade individuals to come to its Mbare facility, where names are placed on a long waiting list. However, corruption has tainted the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe rehab centre is supposed to be free, but people working there now take bribes to sideline those registered by poor guardians,\u201d said Mary Takaendesa from Mbare, who alleged her child was released the same day to make way for a paying case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
‘Military-Style Torture’ and Unapproved Therapies<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inside the centres, detainees face brutal conditions. Videos from Matrix show inmates being drenched in cold water, subjected to rigorous military drills, forced “air seating,” and corporal punishment with a sjambok.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Matrix founder Tafadzwa Chidawa, who is currently on bail for operating an illegal quasi-military camp, defended the methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not a secret that we use intense physical activities as a process for detoxification,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Medical experts warn that such sudden, forced cessation of drugs, without proper medical supervision, can cause severe physical and psychological harm, including organ damage, dehydration, and increased risk of suicide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities Aware, Civil Society Outraged<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the force is aware of “pseudo drug rehabilitation centres operating unlawfully” and is conducting investigations and awareness campaigns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Aspect Maunganidze, expressed concern, stating,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Ministry wishes to emphasise that rehabilitation services must meet established standards of care to ensure the safety and dignity of patients.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, lawyers and civil society groups insist the detentions are fundamentally illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s illegal. It amounts to abducting a person,\u201d said Paida Saurombe of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe constitution guarantees the right not to be deprived of your liberty arbitrarily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wilson Box, director of the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drugs Network (ZCLDN), condemned the profiteering from a national crisis. \u201cDrug use is driven by a lot of factors\u2026 forcing someone to be detained without evidence\u2026 is unacceptable.\u201d He indicated his organisation is preparing a legal challenge against the centres.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Both Angel of Hope Foundation and Matrix were contacted for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A representative from Angel of Hope declined to respond, while Matrix maintained that all admissions are voluntary and based on signed consent forms\u2014a claim contradicted by victim testimonies and the investigation’s findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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