Mbombela schoolchildren debate on the dangers of fire and climate change
ZB Kunene Secondary School won the Working on Fire School Debate Competition.
The Working on Fire (WOF) programme in Mpumalanga hosted Grade Eight and Nine learners from various schools within the City of Mbombela for the annual WOF School Debate Competition held at the Lowveld Botanical Garden on Tuesday August 23.
Learners of Sitintile Secondary School, Central High School, Siligane Secondary School, Thembeka Secondary School, Cyril Clarke Secondary School and ZB Kunene Secondary School presented their arguments on climate change and the dangers of fire.
ZB Kunene Secondary School came out on top with its learner, Lolita Dlamini, taking the prize as the best speaker.
WOF’s spokesperson, Amanda Mthembu, said the annual event is aimed at creating opportunities to create awareness on environmental issues that harm children’s social livelihoods and the natural environment.
“Over the years, WOF has been targeting and working with schools and communities in fire-prone areas in various forms of fire awareness education to empower learners, stakeholders and communities at large towards creating fire-resilient communities.
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Although the WOF teams have reached numerous schools and communities with these key fire awareness messages, the annual debates educate learners, educators and stakeholders who share the information in their communities. This also results in communities that implement mitigation measures that reduce the negative impacts of fire,” Mthembu said.
She noted that key stakeholders played roles in the success of the competition, such as the Ehlanzeni District Municipality, City of Mbombela, Silulumanzi, the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs.
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The WOF programme, under the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, is a government-funded and job creation programme focusing on implementing integrated fire management in the country. The programme recruits youth from disadvantaged communities and trains them in specialised veld and forest techniques.
