Oliver Dickson, 23, and Tshepo Mofokeng, 18, both from Randfontein and former Randfontein High School (RHS) learners are two men with a huge talent for debating.
Oliver left RHS in 2011, where Tshepo finished matric at RHS last year. Oliver won the best debater in Africa and is hoping to compete in the World Championships that will be held in Mexico.
Tshepo Mofokeng and Oliver Dickson.
Oliver says that in high school, he was not very pro active in debating but when he started at Wits University, he started taking it very seriously. He said there are more opportunities and less limitations in debating at university level than that of high school.
He added that debating is harder at university, because you have no coach or guide to teach you like in high school. He taught himself with trial and error. He started competing in 2012. Oliver explains that you get two types of debating. The one is the world schools debating, the other is called the ‘Motion’ where debaters gets an hour before the competition to study the subject.
Oliver says in order to be an excellent debater, you have to read up and know about all subjects for instance politics, sports, the environment, entertainment etc. For him, debating is unlimited and everything is up for questioning. He also says that debating teaches you not to be ignorant,and to not just have an uninformed opinion.
At the moment he is independently debating at university level and his goal is to try to represent the whole of Africa, since debating in Africa is extremely small in comparison to the world.
“If you are a debater, your career opportunities are endless.”
Tshepo Mofokeng and Oliver Dickson.
Oliver has his own business and he is also a speaker on Power FM. Oliver has won numerous awards and wants to put Randfontein on the map in the world of debating.
Tshepo says if it was not for Jason Fischer from RHS he would not have come this far. Tshepo was chosen for the national debating team recently. This is a great achievement for him and for Randfontein. He also says that Oliver has been his mentor and has always helped him with tips on debating.
“If you do what you love, its is easy. I would die a debater.”
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