Bango event fights drug, substance abuse

lovemore.dube, lovemore.dube@chronicle.co.zw

THE Highlanders Clubhouse is set to be a hive of activity tomorrow when it plays host to a soccer tournament to highlight the dangers of substance abuse in society.

A group known as Eyethu has organised a tournament dubbed “Bango” being Bulawayo Against Njengu and Gender-Based Orientation, is challenging Bulawayo to take a stand against drug and substance abuse.

“It’s a community response to a worrying trend and disaster across the city… Young people, and now adults too are being lost to drug, substance abuse and njengu at an alarming rate. Families are breaking down. The social cost is huge and potentially irreparable,” said Eyethu in a press release yesterday.

The committee is inviting city residents to the Highlanders Clubhouse for a soccer tournament with a difference where the game is a conduit to reaching out and spreading a message that should help the city stay clean.

Football is the most followed sport in Bulawayo and provides a podium for organisations to market their programmes and products.

“We are inviting the whole community to stand up and do something. Social soccer is a great vehicle to rally around and send the message through. We hope to do this every year. But also in between, we hope to replicate it in the wards. There are no personal gains we are aiming at but a lot of commitment from diaspora partners, through Mbusi Dube have made this possible. We strive to promote community agency to reduce, manage and hopefully eliminate the incidence of gender-based violence, drug and substance abuse, even hate and discrimination of minority groups which are toxic social ills we experience daily,” read the statement.

All participating teams will receive a uniform donated by friends and partners of Mbusi Dube who is a social worker abroad.

In an interview Dube said through the Bango Tournament said: “We have to kick it out (drug and substance abuse), it’s got no place in society, it has destroyed many promising talents and youngsters. Men and women have been maimed as well because of abuse of drugs and substance abuse.

“As residents and citizens let us take a stand and save our communities. They certainly deserve better but it takes a collaborative effort to nip it in the bud,” said Dube who is on holiday in Zimbabwe.

He is a former Plumtree High School teacher who now works as a social work abroad and is passionate about soccer.

He said as a social worker abroad and having taught in Zimbabwe for close to 20 years, youths are a group of people close to his heart. He said all the energies must be concentrated on saving them from the scourge.

“I now work as a social worker in the UK, having taught here for close to 20 years. Youths are at a very special place in my heart and life. 

“I always want to see them doing better and it is us the community to shape them into the future we want. We do not want a nation wasted by drugs nationals. Let us stand up together and fight the scourge,” said Dube.

He said Saturday’s event will have soccer as the main attraction but several organisations including ZRP will be there to talk about life skills.