Harare South Youth Tournament Promotes Sport and Anti-Drug Campaign

By Southerton Business Times Reporter HARARE — Young people from Harare South's Ward 12 converged for a full-day soccer and netball tournament on Saturday as part of a community initiative aimed at promoting sport, discouraging drug and substance abuse, and keeping youths positively engaged.

The tournament was organised by Zanu-PF District Coordinating Committee (DCC) 6 Secretary for Gender and Culture and Ward 12 Councillor Simon Madzanga, attracting eight netball teams and five Under-17 boys' soccer teams from across the ward. Held from 10 am until late afternoon, the event drew enthusiastic support from residents, community leaders and party officials, including DCC Secretary for Business and Economic Empowerment, Cde Makahamadze.

Speaking on the sidelines of the tournament, Councillor Madzanga said the sporting event forms part of broader community efforts to steer young people away from crime, drug abuse and other social ills.

"The purpose of the tournament is to remove the youths from the streets so that they spend the day busy," he said.

Madzanga said the anti-drug awareness initiative is held periodically rather than on a fixed calendar, allowing organisers to continuously engage young people through constructive recreational activities.

He said sport provides a positive platform for developing discipline, teamwork and healthy lifestyles while helping reduce the risk of young people becoming involved in drug and substance abuse.

"We want to make these tournaments a regular feature in Ward 12. At the same time, we expect players to uphold discipline and ensure that every match is played according to the rules of the game," he said.

The competition attracted teams from across the ward, with participants competing for cash prizes in both the netball and football categories.

In the netball tournament, the winning team received US$50, while the runners-up took home US$40. Third and fourth-placed teams received US$30 and US$20, respectively. In the Under-17 boys' soccer competition, the champions walked away with US$50, second place earned US$40, while the third-placed team received US$30. No floating trophy was presented in the football category.

Residents welcomed the initiative, describing it as an important investment in young people at a time when communities across Zimbabwe continue to grapple with rising cases of drug and substance abuse among youths. Zimbabwe has intensified anti-drug campaigns in recent years through community-based programmes involving Government, local authorities, schools, churches and civic organisations, with sport increasingly being used as a tool for youth empowerment and crime prevention.

Community members urged local leaders, businesses and development partners to continue supporting sporting activities, saying regular tournaments provide safe recreational spaces while nurturing talent that could ultimately feed into provincial and national competitions.

Harare South youth tournament