Sports day for Gamalakhe youth
Netball and soccer games were played by various teams, and soccer kits were donated by local businessman Siyanda Dlungwana.
To bring the youth together while creating awareness of crime and social ills in Gamalakhe, the Gamalakhe Community Policing Forum (CPF) held a sports day at the Bhambayi Sports Ground recently.
Netball and soccer games were played by various teams, and soccer kits were donated by local businessman Siyanda Dlungwana.
The organiser, Selby Mzindle said the event was held to inform the community on the role of the CPF.
“As much as the CPF is known to the community, its role is often misinterpreted. People think that the CPF deals with criminality by catching thieves, however, the CPF also addresses the cause of increased cases of criminality and drug abuse,” Mzindle explained.
He said the CPF realised that cases reported at Gamalakhe police station recently indicated that alcohol and drug abuse are a huge problem.
“The cases are related to the youth. We have had increased numbers of rape, women abuse and theft. The rapes often occurs when people are drunk at taverns and in homes where the victims are under the influence.
“Sometimes sexual consent was given by women, however as they were under the influence they don’t remember or they feel guilty in the morning. Unemployed young girls spend most of their time in taverns or with men who buy them drugs or alcohol and that is why the CPF organised a sports day, to create awareness of such cases and encourage the youth to participate in sports,” Mzindle added.
He said that the more youth engage in sporting activities, they will be occupied and have less time to go to taverns.
On the same day, the CPF and organising team visited five families to donate food parcels.
“These families were identified by the CPF after they did background checks on the families of perpetrators. We found that they are from families who are struggling, who sometimes go to bed hungry and they put food on the table by stealing other people’s property which is sold for small amounts, just enough to buy a packet of mealie meal, a loaf of bread and sugar,” said Mzindle.
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