By Teboho Moloi
QWAQWA – Dikwankwetla Party of South Africa president and Maluti-a-Phofung Council Chief Whip Moeketsi Lebesa has blamed the collapse of sports development in QwaQwa for the growing crisis of drug and alcohol abuse among young people.
Lebesa said years of neglect by government and the municipality had stripped young people of positive opportunities, leaving many vulnerable to substance abuse and crime.
He argued that the failure to invest in sports infrastructure, development programmes and local sporting talent has created a generation with little to inspire or occupy them.
“Youth need role models they can see and interact with every day. Instead, many only watch successful athletes on television, people they are unlikely to ever meet. That is not enough to inspire hope,” said Lebesa.
He said government has a responsibility to revive sport as a tool for youth development and social change.
“During Dikwankwetla’s administration in QwaQwa, different sporting codes flourished. Sport kept young people active, disciplined and focused while also contributing to the local economy,” he said.
Lebesa pointed to what he described as the decline of once-proud sporting facilities, saying landmarks such as the Phuthaditjhaba Golf Course and Charles Mopeli Stadium have been allowed to deteriorate.
“We built an international-standard golf course and Charles Mopeli Stadium, which was the second-largest soccer stadium in the country at the time.
Today both facilities have been neglected and are in ruins. As the infrastructure collapsed, so too did the standard of sport in this area,” he said.
He also lamented the absence of a professional football club representing QwaQwa in the national leagues since the days of Free State Stars, despite the region producing talented players.
“It is heartbreaking that we have talented young people, yet many are instead being destroyed by drugs. In the past, thousands of supporters filled Charles Mopeli Stadium every weekend to watch their heroes.
Those role models inspired young people to dream of sporting success rather than spending their weekends abusing alcohol and drugs,” Lebesa said.
He called on all spheres of government to prioritise investment in sports facilities, youth development programmes and community sporting competitions, arguing that restoring sport would help steer young people away from substance abuse while creating new economic opportunities for the region.
