Midlands State University has been hit by a glut of hard and prescription drugs which include a deadly cocktail nicknamed “nyaope” — a mixture of marijuana, rat poison, HIV anti-retroviral medication and, sometimes, heroin.
Officials and students at the institution who cannot be named say the drugs, which also include mandrax and cough syrups such as Histalix and Broncleer, are being peddled by rackets operating inside and outside the campus.
The institution has around 15 000 students.
Reports say the unchecked flow of drugs at MSU has led to moral corruption and academic decline.
The drug peddling cartels are largely supplied by dealers in the nearby suburbs of Senga and Nehosho, as well as from traffickers in Harare’s Mbare suburb and Bulawayo’s Makokoba.
Investigations show that some of the more expensive drugs like ecstasy and heroin are being smuggled from South Africa and make their way to university campuses.
Acting director of information and PR Mrs Mirirai Mawere said she needed more time to get details from various varsity departments such as Student Affairs and the clinic.
“That said, I cannot comment from the head but you never know with these students.”
After arranging a meeting with one of the students, Tinashe Machirori (not his real name), we visited the hostel area where we had interviews with other students.
We found Tinashe waiting for us in a room he shares with five other students.
“You see, drug abuse is happening here. Almost everyone is doing it, including girls,” he said. “A whole range of them (drugs) are available here and people chose what they prefer and afford.
“There is what is called the blue pill, Nintendo, ecstasy, the pink pill, Broncleer, marijuana, you name it.”
His three room mates chimed in.
“The guys who sell these drugs have almost everything for everyone, but for stronger drugs they don’t sell to people they haven’t done business with before,” one of them said.
“We know some of the guys who sell, but I cannot reveal them to you because I fear for my safety. I was once beaten for referring a user they did not know to them,” added another student only known as Rasta.
Tinashe and his friends went on to speak about the nature of the business on the MSU campus.
According to them, two tablets of the “blue pill” are sold for US$1, while a joint of marijuana goes for the same price. A 500g sachet of marijuana is reportedly sold for US$4 while a 500ml bottle of Broncleer goes for US$5.
Tinashe said designer drugs were sold on “special order” through a complicated network of middlemen.
“Expensive drugs like ecstasy are not easily available because they are sold on special order and through a complicated network because the peddlers are afraid to be caught with huge volumes of supply,” said the student
Another student, Ngoni, told us about his experience after smoking nyaope, a drug made from HIV anti-retroviral drugs.
“For me smoking marijuana only was no longer giving me the satisfaction I needed, so when I was trying out different combinations, a friend told me about nyaope,” he said.
“It is a mixture of crushed ARV tablets and pesticides sometimes. We then sprinkle the mixture on marijuana and smoke it.
“However, it is difficult to get the mixtures used to make nyaope since the guys who peddle them do not sell to anyone they haven’t sold to before. My friends say peddlers get their supplies of ARVs from Harare and Bulawayo.”
Ngoni said it was no secret that drug abuse was prevalent at MSU.
A female student who talked to this publication said there were too few recreational activities at the institution and this might have led some students to start taking drugs.
Source: The Sunday Mail