Gvt hails Prophet Magaya for empowering youths, fighting drug abuse

By ALBERT MASAKA

GOVERNMENT has endorsed Prophet Walter Magaya’s significant investments in the local and regional sports sector as they align with the country’s vision to grow sports as an industry, an area that is also critical in the fight against drug abuse.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged the private sector to partner to fight the scourge of drug abuse, which is disenfranchising the community.

Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture Nicholas Moyo said this yesterday in a meeting with Prophet Magaya before he officiated at the Magaya Sports Tournament.

The tournament held at Unit L grounds in Seke, Chitungwiza was also graced by the Seke South MP Maxwell Mavhunga and St Marys MP Bernard Mazhindu,

Also in attendance were councillors Obert Matsika, Leah Chindamba and outspoken residents’ leader Marvellous Kumalo.

In thanking Prophet Magaya, Moyo said that by hosting the sports tournament, the Yadah FC owner was also empowering the youths in Chitungwiza by increasing industrialisation of sport.

 “This tournament also contributes a lot towards the consumption of sport in the country. This will then increase the industrialisation of sport in this country,” he said.

“It’s not just about the tournament, it’s about what the tournament can do in the lives of people. There are two fronts that I see, the first one is the participation of youths.

“Currently you are clearly aware that there is a scourge that has affected Zimbabwe and other Southern African nations which is the issue of drug and substance abuse.

“And the more we create such platforms, the more we contribute towards addressing drug and substance abuse.”

“So primarily this tournament will in a long way be a major contributor to that.”

Moyo said the danger with idle people is that they end up entangled in vices that are not acceptable in the community.

“Idleness is not a permanent state. They move away from being idle to then do other things and those other things become vices which are not socially acceptable.

“But when you then occupy that space with sports, you are making them think differently. You are making them start to carve a new dream for themselves.”

He added that by empowering youths in Chitungwiza to participate in sport, Magaya was also creating a sports industry to  accommodate them.

“I think if you look at the multiplier effect of all the number of teams from Chitungwiza that you are talking about, and the support that will come from families of these young players it will go a long way in profiling sports in this community of Chitungwiza.”

Moyo hailed efforts by Prophet Magaya to engage  both government and local authorities and government as this goes a long way in contributing to the vision of the country, including the ministry of sports.

“Our goal as a ministry is to ensure that the creation of the industry is also creating more consumers, the more they take part in this tournament it means tomorrow when Yadah is playing with Herentials there are now more people who are coming to watch, Dynamos on Sunday (today) is playing Highlanders they are now more people who are coming.

“It grows interest from grassroots to consume the sport either at family level and unity level; they now associate with people who play soccer and they want to consume more and understand more about the game. That’s how we also can be able to grow an industry”

“If eventually the stadium here is renovated to whatever status, it also means the support by Chitungwiza on its own, it’s not just people who are coming because there is a new stadium but its people who are coming because they have an appreciation of what soccer is all about.”

“And therefore, on behalf of the government and myself is to congratulate you for this noble concept and trust that we can also be able to encourage and many others, and replicate… maybe the future becomes more, we might end up having a regional Magaya Tournament, who knows.”

Once a local football power house, Chitungwiza no longer has a Premier Soccer League team and stadium to host such matches, yet it is the third-largest urban area in terms of population.