Timire Rangers of Ward 5 lifted the inaugural Ruwa Local Board Mayoral Cup in a 12 team tournament held in the town last month. The tournament which is the brainchild of Board Chairperson, Councillor Michael Mataruka, seeks to get residents to do their part in curbing drug and substance abuse in the town.
Speaking after the tournament; Councillor Mataruka said the Mayoral Cup was one of the many interventions that Ruwa Local Board and his office are going to employ to get the youths occupied and in turn refrain from using drugs for recreation.
“This is only the beginning of a series of activities that will be held in Ruwa to keep our youths occupied. We have plans to revamp our recreational facilities so that the youths will have a lot of things to do which will deter them from using harmful drugs and substances. My appeal to our residents is we need to work together to fight this scourge particularly because the drug peddlers stay in our communities and are well known. It is time to take decisive action,” he said.
Mayor Mataruka added that drug and substance abuse in the town is manifesting mostly in the form of cheap illicit beers commonly known as “tumbwa.”
“We recently witnessed the deaths of three young people in the community because of these drugs. One of the three is said to have been a very educated young man who had a bright future ahead of him. We are therefore doing our part to provide social activities which keep our youths away from these drugs, particularly these cheap spirits and beers.” Councillor Mataruka said.
The tournament comes at a time where some youths have also involved themselves in the trafficking of drugs and illegal substances which come through Zimbabwe on their way to other countries. Possession, use and trade in illegal drugs is a serious criminal offence in Zimbabwe, which attracts steep jail terms.