The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
BULAWAYO’S youth clubs could benefit from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation’s move to revamp recreational spaces countrywide as part of efforts in supporting grassroots structures in sport.
Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation minister, Kirsty Coventry announced the ministry is revamping 40 recreating facilities around the country to create hubs that would nurse emerging talent. There have been growing calls for the Bulawayo City Council to revive youth clubs that were the bastion of grooming talent. The centres dotted around the city provided a haven for youths as they engaged in various activities including sports and arts.
“At the beginning I initiated the revamping of 40 recreational spaces countrywide, however, as we all know we are faced with the Covid-19 pandemic and this might affect our programmes in terms of funding but we are going to keep on pushing. Ideally, we want these spaces to be the hub of youth, sport and art, safe spaces for young people and we will have specific sporting facilities depending on the space available, where we will be able send talent identification coaches. We will also have art spaces where we will be able to send different artistes and also resident artistes. We are starting off in Mufakose and that centre is just about done,” said Coventry, in an address on Twitter.
Youth centres such as Tshaka in Makokoba, Nyathi in Mpopoma, Thabiso also in Makokoba, Indlovu in Tshabalala and others in Lobengula, Luveve and Mzilikazi are now mere buildings with little activity taking place at the venues.
