MEDIA RELEASE

YOUNG DEBATERS MAKE AN IMPRESSION AT CONSTITUTION HILL

Monday, 17 October 2011: The debating team from (name of school) walked away victorious yesterday in the annual Constitution Hill Debating Tournament, by convincing the adjudicators that land should (or should not) be expropriated without compensation in order to correct past injustices.

Over 70 Gauteng teenagers from disadvantaged schools participated in the tournament, which culminated in the grand finale on Sunday.

The winners of the 2011 competition are Siyabulela Nombewu, Tshepiso Mahika, Kamogelo Manthata, Kganyogo Motsileng and Nonhlanhla Masanabo of Bophelo Impilo High School. These learners argued against as opposition and Nonhlanhla was also nominated best speaker of the competition.  The runners up was Fons Luminus Secondary School who argued to the proposition.

Participating schools were from Johannesburg’s CBD, Soweto and Thembisa and had previously had little or no exposure to formal debating. Topics were carefully selected to stimulate debate around the fundamental rights prescribed by the Bill of Rights and over 240 learners were trained by the Gauteng Debating League leading up to the tournament.

Partners in the tournament include Blue IQ (of which Constitution Hill is a subsidiary), Constitutional Court Law Clerks, the Gauteng Debating League, University of Johannesburg (UJ) and South African Institute for Advanced Constitutional, Public, Human Rights and International Law (SAIFAC) and Claude Leon, an international foundation.

Blue IQ Group CEO, Amanda Nair explained that the competition is closely aligned with Blue IQ’s work to transform Gauteng into a smart province and to develop the strategic infrastructure required to facilitate this.  “The primary objective of the tournament is the creation of a sustainable culture of debate at disadvantaged schools. Smart Young Mindz, Gauteng’s leading competition aimed at stimulating interest among learners in the fields of mathematics, science, technology and entrepreneurship, is our flagship CSI project and we believe that this debating tournament is as important to realising our vision for Gauteng,” she said.

Themba Ntulu, Acting CEO at Constitution Hill, says that Constitution Hill is one of South Africa’s most education-orientated heritage sites. “Participating learners took a tour of the precinct, which made the history in this site come alive for these young leaders of tomorrow.”

Ends