Football club fights to keep youths off the streets

THE community in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane 12 suburb and nearby areas is using football to fight drug and substance abuse by keeping them off the streets.

A football club named Nkulumane 12 FC has taken centre stage to lure youths and nurture their football talent courtesy of founder and gaffer Qaphelani Nkomo (44).
South African-based Filabusi-born philanthropist Khumbulani Nkomo who supports financially the team said there is need for various stakeholders to unite in the fight against drug and substance abuse.

Founded in 2012, the club largely dominated by youths has shown commitment and support towards Government’s efforts in fighting the scourge. In June 2024, President Emmerson Mnangagwa launched the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024-2030) coinciding with the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. This followed an alarming increase in cases of drug and substance abuse across the country, especially among the youth.

Qhaphelani said they are deeply concerned over the escalating addiction crisis gripping the country and that as a football entity they want to change that.

“A lot of talent is being wasted in the city and mostly in the Western suburbs where a number of youths are not being given a platform to showcase their talents and this is something that pushed me to form this team.

“At the moment the team has players from a number of suburbs and l can say my team is the best of the best because discipline-wise my boys are number one and they respect me as their coach. It’s is the vision to give them something to do,” said Qhaphelani.

Khumbulani said: “Youths are the future of our communities and l believe every individual has a role to play in ensuring that we support their talent, nurture their dreams and see to it that they succeed without being accustomed to illicit activities.

“Supporting this team is a dream come true for me to see young people being able to pursue their dream careers. We call upon interested stakeholders who want to help in any way, so they can be able to play in the top flight leagues and support their families.”

Recent statistics paint a grim picture of the drug abuse situation in Zimbabwe. A 2022 survey by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) revealed that 24.6 percent of Zimbabweans aged 15-64 years have used drugs at least once in their lifetime. The survey found that 12.1 percent of respondents reported using drugs in the past year, with cannabis being the most commonly used substance (8.4percent).

A 2023 report by the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network (ZCLDN) noted a significant increase in drug-related arrests among youths, with 45 percent of those arrested being under the age of 25.