‘Sporting activities integral to health and tolerance’
THE Mashonaland Central community enjoyed the revelry that is associated with a family fun day when First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa hosted them at Chipadze Stadium yesterday.
Amai Mnangagwa described the fun-filled event as integral to a healthy, united and tolerant society.
It was the fourth leg of the First Lady’s Family Fun Day after similar events in Harare, Midlands and Matabeleland South.
Participants enjoyed activities such as sack racing, nhodo, netball, bottle balancing, tug of war and cooking, among others.
Amai Mnangagwa, who is the country’s Health and Child Care Ambassador as well as founder of the Angel of Hope Foundation, also shared in the fun by taking part in chess and table tennis. She also visited the cooking stands. Addressing people who had gathered at the stadium, the First Lady said the event was meant to spread happiness and peace, as well as promote economic development through sport, tourism and diplomacy.
“The hosting of the First Lady’s Fun Day is an integral component of holistic community development, where women, the elderly, children and other marginalised groups have an opportunity for advancement and enhancement of wellness, social cohesion, unity, unhu/ubuntu, fairness and tolerance in all communities of Zimbabwe,” she said.
“I also want thank you for coming to spend the day with us so that we exercise, thus promoting our wellness and health.”
She also made a case for indigenous sporting games, which are the cornerstone in promoting culture and heritage.
Mashonaland Central leadership, she added, has to spread the initiative to other districts so as to promote healthy lifestyles across the country.
“For sustainability of this noble initiative, I call upon all the key stakeholders in Mashonaland Central to take this festival to all the eight districts of the province so as to reach out to all the wards as part of the sport for all movement,” she said.
Speaking at the same event, acting Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation Kazembe Kazembe said sporting activities reduce the likelihood of non-communicable diseases.
“The Ministry of Youth and all its partners will continue to do all it can to promote sport, which has a direct impact on the reduction and management of non-communicable diseases,” he said.
“This will impact on Government expenditure on health, thereby reducing it and redirecting it to other sectors of the economy.”
He commended the event and said it dovetails with the national fitness and wellness programme, which is spearheaded by the Minister of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.
Minister of State for Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Monica Mavhunga, who was also present, said the event was an appropriate platform for empowering women, the disabled and the elderly - previously marginalised members of the community.
Participants in the activities walked away with food hampers donated by the First Lady and various corporates.
Also present at the event was Deputy Speaker of Parliament Tsitsi Gezi, Zanu-PF Members of Parliament in the province and officials from the Ministry of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation.