Teamwork makes dream work for Montclair debating team

TEAMWORK certainly made the dream work for Mowat Park High’s top achieving debate team, who were crowned champions in the Durban region Road Safety Debate run by the Department of Transport.
Two of the Mowat Park team mates also made the KZN league which will compete at nationals in East London in October.

The journey for Aisha Dockrat, Anele Mpungose, Sthabile Memela, Olwethu Mthembu and Samantha Thembo has been a wild but rewarding ride as they showed the region that the Mowat Park debate team was not to be underestimated by taking the top spot in the competition.

The Mowat Park girls owe their success to hard work and a great team which worked together and motivated each other especially when things got tough. “It’s been a great experience for all of us, especially since most of us started off shy and lacking confidence. But debating has brought us out of our shells and now we are conquering the world,” said aspiring lawyer, Anele Mpungose.

READ: Mowat Park pupil toasts to top spot in Toastmasters

Balancing school work, debating and their lives outside of school is tough but since they have such a strong team ethic, they got through it. “We practiseduring breaks, after school – actually whatever time we can afford, we are practising. The good thing about this team is we can bounce ideas off each other, share information which can help each other work and just be there for each other. We certainly maintain a balance between work and school but it’s all about how we help each other,” said Dockrat.

Dockrat and teammate Sthabile Memela have been chosen to be part of the KZN league to compete from 1 to 6 October in East London. They will rely on their other teammates to help them prepare.

Their coach, Mr Kisten said it is wonderful to see such strong and independent girls take over the debating world. “I don’t even have to do much with them, they really are hardworking individuals and as a team, they’re a force to be reckoned with. I’m positive they will go further in this,” he said.

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