Kovedzayi Takawira
Gwanda—The Gwanda municipality has announced the closure of the Greenland Youth Centre, located in Phakama Township, following years of complaints from residents about rampant drug abuse, violent crime, and illegal activities.
The facility, initially established to empower young people, has instead become a hub for illicit businesses, including brothels and unlicensed tuck shops, allegedly operating under the informal protection of the ruling Zanu PF party.
The centre, established ahead of the 2018 elections, has been housing over 200 illegal structures, none of which pays taxes to the council.
Residents have long demanded its closure due to safety concerns, with many, including a resident Farai Siziba, falling victim to the lawlessness.
Siziba narrowly survived a brutal assault at the centre last December.
“It happened after someone had been stabbed and later pronounced dead at the hospital. We were collecting money to help cover the medical bills when I was speaking to Dube, one of the bar owners there.
“I gestured toward a group of men, pointing out the women who had already contributed. They overheard me and accused me of pointing them out,” added Siziba.
A member of the gang charged at him and struck him on the forehead with an empty beer bottle and he was forced to flee into Dube’s bar to take refuge.
His attackers attempted to force their way inside, but the bar owner stood firm and refused to open the doors.
“Some were armed with machetes and Okapi knives. They went to the back to look for another entrance, and that’s when I managed to escape,” Siziba said.
He called the police, who arrived shortly afterward and fired warning shots to disperse the crowd.
“However, no arrests were made, and no docket was opened. The police just told me to call them if I saw my attackers again,” he added.
To this day, Siziba occasionally sees the same men but fears reporting them because he feels he would just be exposing himself without the law enforcers taking meaningful action.
“You can’t even let your wife or daughter go there to buy anything because they might not return,” Siziba added.
The Greenland Youth Centre, originally intended to empower young people, had instead devolved into a haven for the sale of illicit beer, crystal meth (Mutoriro), and other dangerous substances.
Siziba has attended several meetings advocating for the centre’s shutdown, though he notes that attendance is often low.
He hopes that the local leadership will ensure the facility is permanently closed.
Gwanda Progressive Residents Association (G-PRA) secretary general, Methusi Moyo, echoed these concerns, saying the closure was long overdue.
Moyo highlighted the high crime rate and the lack of accountability, noting that many occupants are not from the local community.
“If the youths engaging in criminal activities were from around here, it would be easier to restore order because we would know their families,” he said.
Moyo also emphasised that proper regulation could have held someone responsible for the many deaths that have occurred at the site.
Moyo hopes the site will be repurposed into a vocational training centre for local youths.
“We don’t have a vocational training centre in Gwanda. The closest one is in Guyu, but few can afford to go that far. Look at the Bulawayo Community Projects in Thorngrove, something like that here would keep young people occupied, reducing drug abuse, loitering, and even deaths,” he said.
Barely a month ago, the Zanu PF chairperson for Matabeleland South province, Mangaliso Ndlovu, called for the centre’s closure, stating, “If this place is no longer serving its purpose and has become a hub for criminal activities, then it has to be shut down with immediate effect. The municipality must close it down and then regularise its operations.”
However, the Ward 9 councillor, Darlington Sibanda, who represents the area, questioned whether the closure was a council resolution or a party directive.
“When I assumed office in 2023, the place was already a menace. Previous efforts to shut it down were blocked after a seven-day directive was overturned by a letter from the ruling party,” he said.
Sibanda recalled a council meeting where he faced opposition from the sitting mayor, Thulani Moyo.
Despite resistance, Sibanda continued pushing the matter through council committees.
“People in my ward started referring to it as ‘Sodom and Gomorrah.’ Eventually, the issue made it to the full council.
“On the same day a resolution was passed, Zanu PF’s provincial leadership had already directed the local authority to shut it down. That’s when a two-week notice was issued to vacate the premises,” added Moyo.
A letter dated 13 February 2025, written by the town clerk, Priscilla Nkala, and addressed to the Greenland Association Chairperson, confirmed the decision.
“Council, in its endeavor to promote public health, safety, and functionality, has resolved to close Greenland Youth Centre on February 28, 2025.
“The closure is meant to address these issues, which are of concern not only to the local authority and residents, but also to the provincial leadership of the ruling party.
“To avoid inconvenience, all occupants are expected to vacate before the closure date,” read the letter.