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By Johnathan Paoli
Learners from Mpumalanga have won the Youth4SaferSouthAfrica Debate and Leadership Championships, with the Western Cape team coming in second and the Eastern Cape in third place.
The country’s brightest young debaters gathered in Ekurhuleni on Saturday for the competition hosted by the Safer South Africa Foundation (SSAF), in conjunction with the Training Firm, the National Lotteries Commission and the Basic Education Department.
The annual event brought together learners from across the country to engage in the debate, which focused on creating a safer society to empower youth by providing them with the skills and platform to voice their ideas and solutions for societal issues.
The participants discussed and proposed solutions on topics such as road safety, crime prevention and community development; culminating in a grand finale where the top teams and individuals were recognised for their contributions.
SSAF CEO Riah Phiyega confirmed that 244 learners from 25 schools in eight provinces participated in the programme, with 177 of the participants being girls and 68 being boys.
A total of 48 learners have made it to the final championships.
“It is often said that great things are not done by impulse but by a series of small things which over time lead to significant outcomes. Thank you for all the diverse efforts and contributions,” Phiyega said.
The format of the debating finale was structured around the presenters simulating being appointed as members of the executive authority of the country’s 7th administration.
Following the formation of the government of national unity, they presented before a strategy session lekgotla and proposed the policy agenda for their particular portfolio and area of responsibility.
The teams were broken down into five speakers, with a president, basic education minister, police minister, employment and labour minister and minister of planning, monitoring and evaluation.
Despite a few instances of stumbling in their presentation, the team representing the Eastern Cape forged ahead with their take on potential solutions and policies which could take the country forward.
Michelle Mbuyisa, as the country’s first citizen, emphasised the need for speedy solutions to the country’s problems.
“We do not need a government of national unity, but a government of national urgency,” Mbuyisa said.
Western Cape’s basic education minister Thimna Tshangana, expressed her vision for the future of the country loudly and proudly and the need to re-imagine education.
“Our basic education requires a collaborative overhaul, to create a brighter future for our learners,” Tshangana said.
Pupils from Mpumalanga represented the province of the rising sun well, and stressed that in face of the challenges, the country would find its strength in order to re-imagine the future.
Mpumalanga’s monitoring and evaluation minister, Junior Munguamba, stressed the need for cooperation and support both in terms of education and policing.
“Together, we will create a brighter future for South Africa,” Munguamba said.
The Mpumalanga team won with a score of 133 points (88.67%) and a cash prize of R9000, the Western Cape scored 127 points (84.67%) and received R6000, while the Eastern Cape scored 118 points (78.67%) and got R3000 Each of the learners received a trophy to take home in remembrance of their participation in the event as well as a prize to the coordinators who assisted them, and included a gold, silver and bronze medals.
The cash prize was from Metropolitan Life, and other prizes including headsets for the third team, Khoi Tech watches for the second team and tablets from WorkersLife for the first team.
Training Firm board director Sharlee Ruthman praised the finals and said that the programme was instrumental in shaping the next generation of responsible leaders and confident speakers.
“With each passing year, it has been an honour and privilege to watch hundreds of learners journey through the programmes, and most starting off with immense potential slightly overshadowed by nerves to fully bring their talent forward as they pick up the public speaking and leadership tool carefully carved throughout the length of the programme,” Ruthman said.
She said the Board of Directors continuously looked for innovative ways to stretch the learners and push the boundaries and to improve the programme in order to better prepare the youth for their post-high school careers.
Ruthman said they designed the programme with the aim of tapping into the human elements of performance and personal mastery to inspire future leaders to craft their leadership identities and brands in a way that is intentional, directed, courageous and impactful.
The final was held in memory of Nomonde Scott and Mahudu Seabi, the provincial coordinators of the Western Cape and Limpopo respectively, who contributed greatly to the programme and passed away during the year.
INSIDE EDUCATION