An all girls five member debating team from Potchefstroom Secondary School carries the hopes of the North West Province to retain the National Road Safety Debating Championship at the annual competition to be held from 27 to 30 September in Cape Town this year.
The dynamic and assertive team from Dr. Kenneth Kaunda District won R20 000, i.e. R4000 and video cameras for each of its team members at the Provincial Road Safety Debate held in Klerksdorp last Friday. The team outperformed JM Ntsime High School from Bojanala Platinum Districtin the first round and triumphantly won the robust final round of the debate competition against Tyger Kloof High School from Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District.
Each of the team members from the runners-up, Tyger Kloof High School, also won digital cameras. All learners who participated in the provincial competition received R500 cash consolation, K53 DVD manuals, medals and certificates of participation as consolation.
In his keynote address delivered by Head of the Department, Iqbal Motala, North West MEC for Public Safety Howard Yawa said that the principal aim of the Road Safety Debate Programme which involves all nine provinces is to promote safe use of roads and to address the underlying problems of road fatalities.
MEC Yawa hailed the annual programme as undoubtedly one of the best projects that the ANC led government came up with to promote road safety towards meeting the 2006 Millennium Development Goals of halving road fatalities.
“One of the goals of the 2015 Road Traffic Safety Management Plan is to reduce by half the rate of accident fatalities arising from road and other transport by 2015 . I believe that this programme will help us a great deal in inculcating positive attitude towards road safety in the minds of our youth from an early age,” stressed MEC Yawa.
The MEC said that road traffic fatalities, injuries and trauma constitute a serious problem, bringing adverse repercussions on the quality of life and longevity of most South Africans especially young people. He said that this is of significant concern, both in terms of costs to individuals and the community, and the added burden it places on health services.
“The inclusive approach and the number of schools and learners that we involve from sub-district level in next year’s debate competition should reflect that we are part of the 2011- 2020 Decade of Action for Road Safety resolution adopted by the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations on the 2 March this year .
We should as from next year strive for maximum participation in order to reach more learners. I trust that our municipalities will adopt the programme and work closer with us and the Department of Education to maximise participation,” Yawa concluded.
The provincial Department of Public Safety sponsored R15 000 of the prize for the overall winner of the competition while Dr Kenneth Kaunda District Municipality contributed R5 000 towards the R20 000 for the overall winner and tokens of appreciation for adjudicators.
Video and digital cameras for the overall winner and runners-up were sponsored by British Petroleum SA (BP) while North West FM sponsored 350 caps and t-shirts for all the students who were in attendance. City of Matlosana Local Municipality as host sponsored lunch for 50 learners from local schools who were in attendance.
Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele (Departmental Spokesperson)
Tel: (018) 381 9171
Cell: 083 629 1987
Fax: (018)381 9123
Email: Lkgwele@Nwpg.Gov.Za
