BronCleer cough mixture, popularly known as “Bronco” by drug addicts, has caused a serious drug addiction problem in Zimbabwe due to the codeine fix it gives drug addicts.
Despite its addictiveness, Adcock Ingram, the manufacturer, continues to include codeine in the product. Many speculate that Adcock includes codeine to maintain repeat purchases and brand loyalty among addicts.
The syrup is illegally smuggled into Zimbabwe by smugglers who avoid paying taxes, causing a devastating effect on Zimbabwe’s pharmaceutical industry. The profits from the product are laundered back into South Africa to purchase more drugs and properties for the drug peddlers.
The question being raised is whether Adcock is responsible for the smuggling and drug addiction caused by the product they continue to lace with codeine? Is Adcock involved in money laundering through the drug smugglers? Should South Africa shut down Adcock for causing a drug pandemic in Zimbabwe and not paying taxes for its product?
Comparatively, a question arises as to why Zimbabwean owned GoldLeaf, which has limited liability, has its owner being singled out and held accountable for smugglers smuggling GoldLeaf cigarettes into South Africa, when Adcock owners are not held accountable for the acts of criminals who smuggle their drug.
We hope the BIPPA agreements between the two countries will protect the Zimbabwean investment in South Africa as #GoldLeafIsTooBigToFail.
By Rutendo Matinyarare.
