Mbali shines at provincial spelling competition
“Together with her register teacher they worked hard to prepare for the competition.”
Duduza – Grade 3 learner from Zakheni Primary School, Mbali Mavimbela, won the provincial Zulu spelling bee competition held in the Alberton Teacher’s Centre last Friday.
The nine-year-old was crowned the winner during a prize-giving ceremony at EP Bauman Primary School on Saturday.
School principal Paul Mguni says he is proud of Mbali for making it this far in the competition.
“She obtained position one competing against 15 districts in Gauteng,” he said.
“She has been obtaining position one ever since she entered the competition in the local level.
“Together with her register teacher they worked hard to prepare for the competition.
“They read books and learned different words in Zulu; they would also come up with sounds and build words out of them.”
Mguni says Mbali’s victory shows that it doesn’t matter where a learner goes to school.
“We are a township school with limited resources, but we are making the best out of them.”
Teacher Lindiwe Mnisi says it was not an easy journey preparing for the competition.
“We stayed behind after school learning different words and building sentences,” she says.
Lindiwe encourages other teachers to tell their learners to concentrate on the lips when words are pronounced.
“This helps them to be able to spell and write out words better.
“The teachers must know that foundation phase is very important, especially in languages.”
Lindiwe says Mbali is one of the most dedicated and hardworking learners in the school’s foundation phase.
“We are hoping this will encourage other learners to also take interest in languages and enter the competition.”
Lindiwe and Mbali are now looking to the next round of the competition, where Mbali will be vying to make it through to the nationals.
“We trust that she will bring the crown back home and make us proud,” Lindiwe says.
