As Nitara Moodley’s term of office as the Speaker of the Johannesburg Student Council (JSC) for 2022–2023 nears the end, she reflects on the whirlwind of a journey it has been.
She writes:
From visiting schools around Johannesburg to promoting the Readers are Leaders campaign, participating in leadership development events, and presiding over various proceedings at the Johannesburg Council Chambers, to Women’s Day celebrations and community sports events, it has been an exciting and rewarding experience.
The JSC programme which aims to develop young leaders with a sense of purpose and promise while also educating the councillors on all aspects of local government, certainly did not disappoint.
When I am not attending JSC events and meetings, my weekends are occupied with my other passion – debating. I am an avid debater and more recently I have been attending various championships. I participated in the Pan-African Schools Debating Championship held in Johannesburg in June 2023, representing my school, St Stithians College, and as the only girl on an all-boys team.
This was an incredibly intense competition with schools from across the African continent, and the debating topics dealt with many contentious African issues. After nine gruelling rounds with nine wins, our team emerged as the ultimate champions. I was honoured to rank fourth under the categories of best speakers in South Africa, top speakers in the Southern half of the African continent, and overall top 10 speakers of the tournament.
I also had the opportunity to debate at The Tanzania National World Schools Debating Championship in Dar-es-Salaam in August 2023. This was a memorable African experience and once again we found ourselves among talented and skilled debaters from Africa. After a close final, we placed second as a team, and I ranked ninth in the tournament as an individual speaker.
I recently participated in the National Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships in Durban. After competing in four categories that included analytical and intellectual topics of discussion, I reached the final of the persuasive speech category with my topic ‘Should we be renaming the streets of South Africa?’ I was elated to finish eighth overall.
My JSC role together with my debate and public speaking activities have influenced my character, introduced me to so many people, presented me with new career prospects, set me on the path of success, and allowed me to grow into a prominent young leader I never imagined possible.
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