one of the cardboard boxes used to store medicines
BY MUNYARADZI BLESSING DOMA
Three ladies sit in deep conversation at the corner of Mbuya Nehanda and Bank Streets in Harare’s downtown area.
Next to them is a heap of small empty boxes and they all seem not bothered by the clutter.
After a little while, two men approach them, they exchange pleasantries before one of the men hands them some money.
One of the ladies walks to a nearby catch pit drain cover, takes out a green bag and after looking around, as if to see if anyone is watching, takes out some pills.
She hands them over to the one of the men, who cannot hide their joy as they walk away.
After inquiring from fruit vendors nearby, this reporter is told that these women sell all types of medication, from antibiotics to pain killers, you name it.
“These are our very own street pharmacists my brother, go and ask any medication you want, they have it.
“If you are not sure of the medication you require, they can also give you a diagnosis, this is not new, it’s been ongoing for some years now,” said the fruit vendor.
After some considerable amount of time, a young woman probably in her early 20s, approaches the same ladies and just like the first time, one of them goes to their stash and ‘dispenses’ the medication.
This is the scenario that is now rampant in some parts of downtown Harare as some vendors sell medication in the streets.
But without being more inquisitive, you would think these are just women enjoying some late afternoon gossip.
To get more on this illegal medicine trade, I decided to pose like a genuine client, and after some few days, I visited the same women, feigning to be suffering from a persistent stomach ache.
And because the women are running an illegal business, one of them was suspicious of my intentions.
“Hamusi porisi here imi (are you not a police man and you want to arrest us),” quizzed one of the ladies.
I laughed it off, even patting the lady on the shoulder, as I insisted that I needed something strong for my nagging stomach ache.
Looking at me, one of them smiled as she said, “I think let’s give him Doxycycline, it’s just US$1 bamdiki.”
And this time around they did not go to the catch pit drain cover, but one of them stood from the rolled up cardboard box she sat on, and inside was the ‘dispensary’.
I deliberately gave them a US$5 note, so that they could look for the change, enough time for me to ask questions and understand their trade.
a packet of Doxycycline tablets which this reporter easily bought in the streets
“Our medication is all legit, there’s nothing fake here. We get these very cheap from Zambia and we sell at affordable prices here.
“You know you can’t just get prescription medication over the counter, so we try to cover that gap.
“And I was a nurse aide, so I can give a diagnosis if one comes to us.
“You are not the only one who buys from us,” one of them bragged.
She said they have a lot of medication as she added, “even if you require drips, we can supply them to you but we do that on order basis.”
one of signs to show the presence of street pharmacists
As I walked from Market Square into the Central Business District (CBD) after easily getting ‘my’ Doxycycline, I realised similar patterns, heaps of empty boxes of medication and a few metres away, are the sellers, who pretend to be just sitting for fun.
A Harare based Doctor who preferred anonymity citing protocol issues with his employer, said the danger with buying street medicines is that you can never really tell, if it’s the correct drug or not, as some could be falsified.
“First and foremost, you can never tell if this medication that you are buying is the real thing, it can be falsified or substandard.
“Secondly, their diagnosis can be wrong and also remember you said they are keeping these pills in cardboard boxes or in catch pit drain covers, so the storage is also grossly wrong.
“Misuse or overuse of these medications can lead to AMR (antimicrobial resistance), which is a growing concern,” said the Doctor.
“Right now they sold you Doxycycline because you pretended to have a stomach ache and that drug is used to treat various bacterial infections.
“So let’s say yours is a virus infection, it means that medication is not good for you.”
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), AMR is one of the top global public health and development threats.
It is said “AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines.
“As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become ineffective and infections become difficult or impossible to treat, increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, disability and death,” reveals a report from WHO.
The report further adds that: “it is estimated that bacterial AMR was directly responsible for 1,27 million global deaths in 2019 and contributed to 4,95 million deaths.”
It is added that people living in low resource settings and vulnerable populations are especially impacted by both the drivers and consequences of AMR.
And some of the major contributing factors like in the current case is “lack of awareness and knowledge, and lack of enforcement of relevant legislation.”
The Medicines Control of Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ), in conjunction with the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) conducts raids in shops and even in the streets, but seems these have not effectively deterred daring vendors.
“It is illegal to buy or sell medicines from unregistered sources, as this poses a serious threat to public health.
“The Authority has a dedicated team of inspectors who carry out enforcement activities, including routine/enforcement inspections and raids across different parts of the country to monitor the sale and distribution of medicines.
“Ongoing collaboration with law enforcement agencies such as the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), CID Drugs and Narcotics Unit has resulted in numerous arrests of individuals involved in the illegal sale of medicines.
“Currently, the Authority has lined up a number of raids in hotspot areas to try and enforce the law and curb this scourge,” said Davison Kaiyo, MCAZ Public Relations Officer, responding to questions sent by this reporter.
He added: “MCAZ also operates a complaint system that allows members of the public to submit tip-offs related to medicine-related issues.
“This has proven effective in alerting the Authority and enabling swift action to address reported cases.
“The Authority continues to engage with the public through various platforms, including traditional media, roadshows, exhibitions and social media, by publishing educational content and issuing warning about the dangers of buying and selling substandard and counterfeit medicines.”
Several people revealed that they opt for street pharmacies because they are not required to produce any prescriptions and their prices are lower.
As for the health risks associated with such conducts, they seem not to care.
“These (street pharmacies) are convenient, I don’t have to produce any prescription and they are also cheap.
“The medication is just the same, I don’t see any difference. As for the risks you mention, I don’t see any,” said Takura Mungadze, a resident of Harare.
Similar sentiments were also shared by a lady who identified herself as Rutendo, who said, “since I have been buying my medication from the streets, I have never had an issue.
“But I have a friend who bought some birth control pills and she ended up getting pregnant.”
This phenomenon is not only rife in Harare, but in other cities and towns as well.
In Hwange, street pharmacists are common and they have a name of their own as they are your go to place when you need any medicine.
And it is said the Mzanga, which means Friend, are mostly from Zambia, so they easily get the medication from their home country and cross into Zimbabwe.
“Here they mainly operate from Number 1 Rank area and most of them are Zambians, we call them Mzanga.
“They sell brufen, indomethacin, antibiotics like amoxicillin, and any other drugs for different ailments such as back pain, joint pain.
“The daring ones go from door to door and you might fail to recognise them because they will also be selling second hand clothes which we call sarawura,” said Jim, a resident of Hwange.
In Bulawayo along 6th Avenue, you can easily find cough syrups being sold in the street pavements.
In June 2025, MCAZ and the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which is aimed at enhancing cooperation in the regulation of medical products between the two countries.
The partnership aims to enhance regulatory functions through collaborations in areas such as the “detection of substandard and falsified medicines, track-and-trace systems, nanotechnology and biotechnology for medicines, vaccine and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production, and other emerging scientific and regulatory domains.”
At the signing ceremony, ZAMRA Director General Makomani Siyanga said, “this partnership underscores our shared commitment to ensuring that only safe, effective, and quality-assured medical products are accessible in our respective markets.”
But despite MCAZ and ZAMRA efforts, substandard or falsified medicines continues to be traded between both markets.
And while numerous arrests are being made, like the largely publicized April 2025 arrests of 23 people, leading to the seizure of 15 000 counterfeit and unregulated medicines in Harare and Bulawayo, the scourge continues.
A Zambian woman resident in Zimbabwe, revealed that despite this being an illegal business, medicines continue to be traded between the two borders.
“Most of the drugs are just expired, from brufein and other medication for Hypertension.
“The medication is sold in some dingy streets in Lusaka, where there is a thriving black market for that.
“When I go back to Zambia, I drop off at a place called Round About, and as soon we drop off, you will see some guys waiting there.
“These suppliers already know their clients, so they go with them where they get the medication. Because it is an illegal trade, they buy them so cheap.
“These medicines are then smuggled, and sold in Zimbabwe, on the streets.
“At one time I saw several boxes wrapped in foil paper, being smuggled in the bus engine compartments,” said the woman who pleaded for anonymity.
While authorities are working to curb the sale of medicines in the streets, one thing is clear, this scourge requires more than just statements and warnings.
And sadly as the scourge continues, risk of public health threats like AMR continue unabated.
