Gauteng was the big winner in the 2015 Inkosi Albert Luthuli Oral History competition, with Gabrielle Murgan winning big in the learner category.
The national finals of the competition were held in Pretoria from 03 to 04 October 2015, with the winners announced at a gala dinner held on Sunday, 04 October, 2015.
The programme was first introduced to schools in 2005 to promote oral history and gives learners the opportunity to celebrate and review the progress South Africa has made as a nation towards the realisation of the values of the Constitution. The programme is named after Albert John Luthuli, an educationalist who was the first African recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The national event was preceded by provincial elimination rounds in which Grade 8-11 learners submitted written portfolios on one of the prescribed topics, followed by an oral presentation of their work.
The topics for 2015 were:
Freedom, democracy and the history of my school: how my school experienced apartheid and the changes since the advent of democracy in 1994;
A socio-political biography of a local hero or heroine in my community: what motivation did they find in the Freedom Charter;
The life story of a student leaner in the 1980s: How the idealism of the Freedom Charter guided them;
A local hero or heroine who participated in the worker struggles of the 1980s. What did the maxim “there shall be work and security” mean for the labour movement then?
In the learner category, Gabrielle Murgan of Gauteng scooped the first prize, followed by Adam Hubbard of the Western Cape and Joy-Ann Magaguld from Mpumalanga in third position. Ellyn Pretorius of the Western Cape was awarded first prize for her entry in the Educators Category, followed by Avril Murgan of Gauteng and Shabana Singh of KwaZulu-Natal.
Speaking during the awards ceremony, the Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Mr Enver Surty, noted the importance of the competition and history in South Africa's journey towards the society envisioned by the Constitution. “It is important for all of us to understand our history and where we come from. We have to recognise and celebrate the inspiration and the aspiration of the Freedom Charter,” said the Deputy Minister. “I hope that, through your research, you have uncovered the contribution of less well-known members of your community who have aided in the development of the country.”
The Director-General of the Department of Basic Education, Mr Mathanzima Mweli, said that the competition was important in that it creates an opportunity for learners to gain knowledge of their community, and at the same time, become catalysts for change. “Researching our past helps you to understand your future as a country,” said the Director-General. “The competition also provides learners with vital skills in data collection, organisation and report writing, which will assist you all greatly when you reach the next phase of your education,” Mr Mweli concluded.
