Fourways High School is proud of Grade 11 learners Chisumino Mombureme and Ropafadzo Zharare who won the Youth Day Derby debating competition from 13 to 16 June.
This is one of many achievements for Chisumino and Ropafadzo, who also won the Wits Cub Grill tournament and the provincial championships last year.
Teacher-in-charge of debating at Fourways High, Sharene Mylchreest said, “We are elated that they have done so well. Both girls are incredibly talented? They are remarkable individuals and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Mylchreest explained that the pair took part in the online tournament with 64 teams from Southern Africa.The tournament was hosted by the South African Schools Debating Board. It was a five-round tournament in the style of British parliamentary debating that is used at university level.
“Motions were on current issues in the media such as the televising of public trials, the ethics of ‘doxing’ and the proposal of the African Monetary Union,” said Mylchreest.
She explained that the Fourways High debating pair progressed to the final in which the motion ‘This house supports learners activism against oppressive regimes, even if it means facing death’ was debated. In addition to winning the tournament, Chisumino was ranked 5th best speaker in the tournament, with Ropafadzo ranking 14th after five rounds.
“Both Chisumino and Ropafadzo are at the pinnacle of schools debating in the country. Unfortunately, with Covid-19, what was set to be a very promising year for them has somewhat changed,” she added.
Chisumino has been selected to represent the country at the World Schools Debating Championship, which was supposed to take place in Mexico. Ropafadzo was also selected as a member of the South African A-Team to travel overseas this year.”We are hoping that once everything opens up again, both girls will be able to compete again,” said Mylchreest.
