Celebrating the youth through sport
The event was an absolute success, with excitement on the field, great food, and positive engagement and discussion off the field
On June 16, the Democratic Alliance (DA) of the Uthukela Constituency got together and hosted another successful soccer and netball tournament in Wembezi. The Uthukela Constituency comprises Alfred Duma and Inkosi Langalibalele local municipalities.
The event was an absolute success, with excitement on the field, great food, and positive engagement and discussion off the field. The players themselves were extremely dedicated and competitive.
The DA team had the following to say, “Sport is an integral part of youth development, as it encourages healthy bodies and minds. It teaches the values of discipline and dedication, and is a constructive pastime that distracts the youth from negative activities. We need more opportunities in our townships and you never know, we may have a ‘Siya Kolisi’ success story from our very own community!
“What was heartbreaking, though, was that scores of very young children pitched up without parental supervision. Thankfully, we pre-empted and meals were planned for them. Constituency deputy chairperson Bheki Zwane gathered them all together and gave them a discourse on the perils of being outdoors unsupervised, the red flags to watch out for, and how to prioritise their safety.
“Youth Day was meant to commemorate the bravery of Hector Pieterson and Hastings Ndlovo, and ensure that this tragedy was not in vain. However, the highest unemployment rate is in the 18-35 age category. 33 million citizens live in abject poverty. Sadly, society judges vagrants as ‘paras’, which is a demeaning name that’s short for parasites. But these are someone’s sons and brothers and sisters. They have given up hope. Children should be in classrooms and on sports fields, not at street corners begging. We have too many teenage pregnancies, uneducated youth, and cases of molestation. This is not the South Africa we want. We don’t want children dying in pit toilets and sniffing glue.”
Congratulations to all the competitors and winning teams.
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