Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
THERE was a time when every weekend and during school holidays youths flocked to sports centres in Gweru for various sporting activities. Today, many young people are turning to drug and substance abuse to fill their idle time.
However, hope is not lost, as the sound of bouncing balls, splashing water, clicking chess pieces and cheering teenagers is set to return to suburbs such as Mkoba, Senga, Mtapa and Mambo, following intensified awareness campaigns by Gweru City Council around its youth centres and swimming pools.
While the local authority maintains the facilities were never closed, residents argue many have not been fully operational for years, resulting in sports enthusiasts only participating during school terms.
The renewed push to promote the centres has left communities “over the moon”, with many hopeful that sport will draw youths away from drugs and other harmful substances.
The campaign follows a Gweru City Council notice inviting youths to join local centres, triggering excitement in high-density suburbs where the facilities once nurtured athletes and soccer stars during the 1980s and 1990s.
Gweru City Council spokesperson Ms Vimbai Chingwaramusee said the initiative was not a reopening exercise.
“It is excellent to see such a positive reaction from the community regarding the promotion of our local facilities. To clarify, these centres and pools are not being reopened as they have remained operational. Our focus is a deliberate awareness campaign to ensure that every resident knows these resources are available, accessible and affordable,” she said.
The existing facilities include Ingwe, Ndlovu, Chipembere and Shumba Youth Centres, while swimming pools in operation include Town Pool, Mkoba Pool and Mambo Pool.
“While these facilities have always been there, we recognise that some residents may not be aware of how to access them or what specific services are offered. By reclaiming these spaces, we aim to combat drug and substance abuse. We are providing a constructive buffer by steering youth towards sports and discipline. We offer a healthy alternative to the social ills affecting our communities.”
Ms Chingwaramusee said the local authority is also promoting health and wellness by increasing participation in physical activities.
“Council is committed to keeping access costs low. Our goal is to ensure the majority of our residents, regardless of financial standing, can afford to use these facilities,” she said.
She added that the sporting hubs are designed to be multi-disciplinary, catering for field sports such as soccer and netball, aquatics including professional and recreational swimming, and indoor games like darts, table tennis and chess.
However, residents maintain that most clubs, with the exception of Chipembere Queens, have not been fully functional in recent years. Despite this, the awareness campaign has reignited hope within communities.
Gweru Residents Trust acting chairperson Mr Obvious Gonamombe commended the local authority for the initiative.
“This is a great move by council towards addressing the drug and substance abuse menace. When you give our youths activities to do, you occupy their minds. Idle minds are the devil’s workshop,” he said.
Mr Gonamombe said the clubs of the 1980s and 1990s produced some of the country’s finest athletes and footballers, and their revival could help uncover new talent while keeping youths away from drugs.
“We grew up knowing that Ingwe, Ndlovu, Shumba and Chipembere were places where champions were made. Bringing that culture back is exactly what Gweru needs right now,” he said.
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Veteran community organiser Mr Cornelius Selipiwe also welcomed the renewed focus on sports centres.
He said reclaiming these spaces was equivalent to reclaiming the future.
“Sport teaches discipline, teamwork and purpose. If a young person is at Mambo Pool or Ndlovu Centre training, they are not in a drug den. Council must be applauded for pushing this awareness, but the next step is to resource the centres with coaches, equipment and proper maintenance so they don’t become white elephants again,” said.
Parents in Mkoba 2 suburb said they have already begun making enquiries about registration for soccer and netball, while others expressed interest in swimming at Mkoba Pool.
“My son is 16 and was slowly getting into bad company. Now he wants to join Ingwe Youth Centre for soccer. This notice came at the right time,” said Mrs Priscilla Zhou of Mkoba 2.
The drug and substance abuse crisis has become a growing concern in Gweru, with Government and civic groups warning that idle youths are the most vulnerable. Stakeholders believe structured sport can play both a preventive and rehabilitative role.
Council said it will work with schools, churches and residents’ associations to drive registration and ensure full utilisation of the centres.
Last week, Minister of State for Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Owen Ncube revealed that police in the province dismantled 78 drug bases and arrested 290 suspects as part of a coordinated crackdown under the Zimbabwe Multi-Sectoral Drug and Substance Abuse Plan (2024–2030).
He said Midlands Province swiftly set up six provincial and district structures following the launch of the national plan by President Mnangagwa in June 2024.
