“I’m so proud that the district winner has come from my own zone,” said Beaulieu Maré, Lions Club multiple-district chairperson for Peace Posters.
“In this contest, a lot of thought needs to be put into the portrayal of the theme and the fact that we have done so well over the past couple of years shows that young people from the East Rand are thinking about what peace and the future means to them.”
Apart from being given the district level winner title, Sitoe also received R4 000 for taking first place.
Crawford Preparatory School pupil Gerred Fuchs finished in second place and received R3 000, Cosmos Academy pupil Ananthi Baduza finished third and received R 2 000, while fourth place went to Matthew Sonnenberger, from Curro Serengeti, who received R1 000.
“World Peace can become a reality if each of us starts by making our own community and environment a better place, and I ask all the participants to make a difference where they can, “ said Maré.
Posters by pupils from Northern Province, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Swaziland featured in the prize giving.
The St Francis College choir and Jacaranda FM DJ Paul Rotherham, the host for the event, entertained the crowd.
Sitoe will now take part in the multiple district phase.
The overall winner from South Africa will go to the United States, together with posters from Namibia and Swaziland, for the final judging.
Last year, South Africa was represented by Thokozane Masanabo, also from the John Wesley Art Centre, in Etwatwa.
He made it to the top 20 in the final judging of the competition, in America.
“We would like to thank St Francis College, Lakeside Mall, Paul Rotherham and Brian Ancient, concluded Maré.