Online Reporter
Patrick Chitumba in Mberengwa
MBERENGWA Rural District Council (RDC) has turned to sport as a weapon in the fight against drug and sub-stance abuse, bringing together eight secondary schools in a tournament aimed at keeping pupils away from harmful substances.
The inaugural Mberengwa RDC Chief Executive Officer’s Under-20 Soccer and Netball Tournament was held at Chingoma High School in Mataga, with eight boys’ soccer teams and eight netball teams competing for hon-ours.
The tournament, organised by Mberengwa RDC chief executive officer Mr Thompson Maeresera, was held un-der the message of fighting drug and substance abuse among young people.
Mr Maeresera said the tournament was part of broader efforts by the district to protect young people from drug and substance abuse while using sport to bring communities together.
“This issue of drug and substance abuse has become a national challenge to the whole of Zimbabwe, and Mberengwa is not spared,” he said.
“We have heard a lot of cases of substance abuse and drug abuse, and as a district, we are joining the nation in the fight against substance abuse and drug abuse.”
Mr Maeresera said sport provided an effective platform to reach young people with messages against drug and substance abuse.
“The idea is to make sure our children, our pupils, refrain from taking drugs. Sport is one of the key drivers. People have a lot of passion in sport. It brings a lot of people together, and this is evidenced by what we saw today at Chingoma High School,” he said.
“There are quite a number of participants, a lot of schools and stakeholders who have come to support a good cause. We are taking advantage of this platform to make sure the message reaches all corners of our district.”
Mberengwa National Association of Secondary Heads (Nash) chairperson Mr Enias Zhou, who is also the head of Mureresi High School, said the tournament was the first of its kind in the district and had received the sup-port of school heads.
“We are very happy about this initiative by our RDC because it is the first of its kind. We are even happier be-cause the theme we are carrying is about the fight against drug and substance abuse,” he said.
The tournament brought together winners from Mberengwa’s eight school zones, with the best eight soccer and eight netball teams qualifying for the district competition.
Mr Zhou said Mberengwa has 47 secondary schools, making the tournament a significant platform for identify-ing sporting talent while addressing drug abuse.
“The methodology that we used was to choose from the eight zones in Mberengwa. Those that won at zonal level, for both boys and girls, are represented at this district level,” he said.
“These are the best eight netball and best eight soccer teams from the 47 secondary schools.”
He said secondary school pupils were deliberately targeted because they were increasingly exposed to the dan-gers of drug and substance abuse.
“The reason why we have chosen the secondary sector for a start is that this is the age that is grappling with this problem of drug and substance abuse,” Mr Zhou said.
“Going forward, we will start it from primary level so that from primary level, they actually get to learn that the use of drugs affects them negatively.”
The participating soccer teams were Maringambizi Secondary, Chizungu High, Guruva High, Mbuya Nehanda High, Gomututu Secondary, Chingoma High, Bayayi Secondary and Dove Secondary.
The netball teams were Mposi High, Chizungu High, Guruva High, Zvomukonde, Vutsanana Secondary, Chingoma High, Mureresi High and Dove Secondary.
Mberengwa district head-in-charge of soccer Mr Bernard Swanda said the competition had already unearthed significant talent.
“We are seeing a lot of talent here and we wish there were scouts to pick talent so that we develop talent,” he said.
At the semi-final stage, Mbuya Nehanda High School, representing Mataruse Zone, faced Chingoma High, while Guruva High met Maringambizi Secondary.
Mr Swanda thanked the RDC for organising the tournament and called for more sponsors to support school sport.
“I wish more sponsors come so that we develop talent in the schools. I also wish that next year we expand this tournament to include other disciplines,” he said.
The anti-drug message was prominently displayed throughout the event, with participating teams and stake-holders wearing material carrying messages such as “Down with drug and substance abuse” and “Not in my school.”
Mr Swanda said bringing pupils and young people together through sport also helped keep them occupied and away from drugs.
“If these young boys and young girls are to participate in such tournaments, they are put away from drugs,” he said.
Mberengwa East legislator Mr Tasara Hungwe also urged pupils to remain focused on their education and fu-ture rather than engaging in drug abuse.
“The issue of drug abuse ruins our future. If you get involved while you are still young, while still in school, you are already ruining your own life,” he said.
He urged pupils to apply the same determination they showed on the sporting field to their lives.
“Just as you were doing on the pitch with full focus, do the exact same in your lives: focus on your life and live a good life,” said Mr Hungwe.
The tournament also provided incentives for participating schools and individual players.
Mr Maeresera said the winning soccer and netball teams would receive trophies and prize money, while individual performers would be recognised for their achievements.
The best player would receive the Golden Ball and US$50, the best goalkeeper the Golden Glove and US$30, while the top goal scorer would receive the Golden Boot and US$30. Similar individual awards were available in netball.
Each participating team was also entitled to an appearance fee, while teams reaching the semi-finals were set to receive playing kits.
Mr Maeresera said the tournament had attracted significant support from the corporate sector, with more than US$20 000 being spent on the event.
“Much of that has come from the business community, our mining companies in the district, the likes of Zimasco Murowa Energy Resources and many others,” he said
“Aquamart is here, Econet, NetOne, AFC from the banking sector. Add Bamlo, Tafa and Associates, Matquick Investments have been here with us the whole day, and we are very happy.”
He said the council would continue working with the corporate sector, mining companies and other stakehold-ers to tackle drug and substance abuse.
“We want to leave a mark as a district. As Mberengwa, we want to be known for fighting against all the wrong vices in the district. We are saying no to GBV, no to drugs, no to hazardous substance abuse,” he said.
“We just want a generation that will also be responsible and will be in charge in future. We want to protect that generation to make sure our future as a nation is in safe hands.”
Mr Maeresera said the RDC was already working with the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation and development partners on initiatives targeting young people.
He said the council intended to make the tournament an annual event, with the 2027 edition expected to be bigger.
“We are going to make sure the next edition in 2027 will be bigger and better,” he said.
