YOUTH Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training minister Tinoda Machakaire has expressed concern over the scourge of drug and illegal substance abuse among the youth in the country.
According to recent reports, the majority of drug abusers are now presenting with mental illnesses with many admitted at psychiatric hospitals.
Idleness because of joblessness as well as peer pressure are cited as the main reasons why the majority of the youth are turning to drugs to escape daily troubles.
“We are trying all we can to fight the drug abuse menace among the youths,” Machakaire told NewsDay.
Machakaire, who is also the Hwedza South legislator, said his Tinmac Foundation was constructing a high-performance centre at the heart of the expansive district to keep youth away from drugs.
“Besides putting in place different self-help projects for them, we have also decided to incorporate sports into their daily lives,” he said.
The youth centre is at Mukamba business centre.
“We have been holding tournaments over the years giving them prizes, but the problem has always been that tournaments are once-off,” he said.
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“So we have now introduced leagues for all the sports that include football, netball and cycling, among other sports.”
He said the aim was to focus on fine-tuning crafts and tapping into the huge potential in Hwedza.
“This is how we can ensure that they keep on fine-tuning their crafts rather than spending much of their time indulging in detrimental activities.
Machakaire said the centre would also provide a platform for artists to hone their skills.
“There is raw talent that has to be polished. And I believe the high-performance centre will come in handy in that regard,” he said.
“We will incorporate almost every sporting discipline so that no one will be left behind.
“There will also be a disability centre so that differently-abled people will get to utilise the infrastructure as well.”
“It’s not going to be a sport-only facility. There will be a community hall as well. Artists that include musicians, actors, among others will get their space too.”
