To say the judges of the Eastern Cape Young Communicator Awards had it easy would be an understatement!
All were in unison over the high quality and standard that the participants projected whilst making their various input on their respective topics.
For participant and overall provincial winner, Bonolo Cebe of Collegiate Girls High in Port Elizabeth, being chosen for the national finals was no less of a surprise.
Asked what she would do with her prize money of a thousand rand, she said, “I have not even begun to think about the money nor how I will be spending it,” obviously still thrilled by the announcement.
Having competed against 11 other contestants from the various districts, Cebe’s bold articulation of her “Coconut Manifesto” under the prepared section, stood out with originality, in addition to its confrontational tone towards stereotyping, in relation to children attending former model C schools. Pride radiated from Cebe’s face as she drew basis of her character from her Sotho origins and personified her body shape to that of the Maseru Mountains urging “all people to embrace and appreciate such beauty.”
Still in the prepared section, second runner-up, Lisa Dondashe of Riebeeck Girls High School in Uitenhage had literally everyone in stitches as she shared: “Imagine a country run by teenagers” with an unpretentious and fresh outlook of the world around her whilst first runner up was Clarendon Girls High’s Mati Ndhlovu with “I dare you.”
Riebeeck College High School English and Debate educator, Anne Pelpason, deemed the event as refined and of very high standards.
“I was impressed by the rural districts’ pupils who spoke so well and I must say that as happy as I am with our win, I am also saddened that it’s always the former model C schools who take the winning spot,” she reflected.
She urged the competition organisers to take into account the fact that constant “winners are from privileged English background against those pupils who may be taking the subject as a second additional language.”
On June 20, Cebe will be competing against the top contestants from the eight other provinces.
Partaking in the national finals will be Limpopo’s Leandre Buys, Free State’s Alfenzenzo Sithole, Northern Cape’s Shanice Titus, Thandekile Maseko from Mpumalanga, from Gauteng will be Ndumiso Hadebe, Tsholofelo Sebolao and Mnelisi Gasa from North West and KwaZulu-Natal, respectively.
The last and remaining province to announce its winner is the Western Cape, which is to hold its Young Communicator Award finale on Saturday, 6 June 2009.
Issued by: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government
2 June 2009
Source: Department of Education, Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecdoe.gov.za)
