Police Sergeant Simphiwe “Charlie” Mgwetana runs a soccer team in Kayamandi out of the back of his police van, to keep boys off the streets.
You don’t have to spend much time in Kayamandi (the township just outside Stellenbosch) before you bump into Sergeant Simphiwe “Charlie” Mgwetana in his police van.
He’s always on the beat – attending robberies, breaking up fights and trying to deal with the area’s overriding issue of domestic violence. It was also Charlie’s job to deal with the youngsters who hung around the mall, smoking, drinking and stealing. Every week he’d put kids in the back of his van, take them to the station, see them leave – only to end up with the same kids in the van the next weekend.
Six years ago, he decided to do something to end this miserable cycle. Charlie realised that these children needed a focus, something to be passionate about. He turned to his own passion – soccer. So with 15 boys, not enough pairs of boots and a few soccer balls, Barca Juniors was born – named for Charlie’s beloved Barcelona.
Now it’s 90 kids and teams from U11 to U17 – and even a trip to Spain – thanks to his tireless work.
In First Person’s Episode 6, Marianne Thamm meets this remarkable man – where else but on the touchline watching his team play their hearts out? – and discovers her own inner soccer fan along the way.
“I was blown away by the force of his commitment to making a difference for these boys and his passion for the project – and for football,” says Marianne. “At a time when the police are not necessarily being seen as a force for good, Charlie and his colleagues are doing something so incredibly positive and effective.”
Producer, Jayne Morgan, adds, “Charlie is one of those very rare people – who saw a problem and actually did something about it – and continues to do it. I very much hope that people who hear the podcast are inspired by it – and that perhaps it will result Barca Juniors getting some more support.”
Click here to meet Charlie and find out how he has used his own passion to make a difference to the lives of the desperate children around him.
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