It was a nail-baiting event for learners as they competed in the Disaster Management School Speech Competition on June 21.
They had dialogues on disaster management related issues to creating awareness of all the risks. A total of 13 schools from Bohlabela and Ehlanzeni circuits participated in this competition, and delivered 39 speeches in all.
The Ehlanzeni District Municipality (EDM) and its disaster management unit identified the schools, and this initiative has proven to be a useful model of raising awareness among young people on issues of disaster risk management.
This programme was started in 2016, initially as a debate programme, which was converted into a speech competition as a result of the pandemic in 2020. The schools participated in the competition by submitting three speeches for Grade Nine, 10 and 11 per school each.
The topics were as follows:
• Grade Nine: Is climate change a potential disaster for South Africa or an opportunity for development?
• Grade 10: Community protests – a human right issue or the biggest contributor to vandalism and destruction of property?
• Grade 11: Is the solution for scarcity of water in South Africa technological and not environmental?
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In her speech, the EDM’s acting mayor, Tiny Mabuza, encouraged the learners to do their utmost, as such a competition might bring other opportunities in future. She gave them the example of a learner from Skhila in the Thaba Chweu Municipality who managed to go overseas because of the speech she had given.
“The learner did a memorable thing for Mpumalanga. It was huge a achievement in 2015 when she was one of those who were selected to go to Cape Town, where she represented the province. On the national platform, the question topic was who they would choose to be president, and she chose Helen Zille. The girl’s opinion was unpopular, although, because of how she had presented it, she ended up going to New York nevertheless. As I am speaking, she is a political analysist.”
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Owami Mashego of Suikerland Secondary School took first place in the Grade Nine learners’ category. Chantel Mnisi of Khutsalani High School scooped first place and outshined all the Grade 10s. Simphiwe Hleza of Khetsalwati High School won first place in the Grade 11 category. Each winner took home a laptop, a trophy, a gold medal, a hygiene pack and a certificate.
