Picture: North West’s six top learners to participate in the National Public Speaking Competitions 

By OBAKENG MAJE

Six top Mathematics and Physical Science learners emerged victorious during the Provincial Public Speaking Competitions hosted by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in Mahikeng on 29 August 2023.

The Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson, Wisane Mavasa said the Public Speaking competition is a national School Intervention Programme under the Department of Water and Sanitation’s Education Programme (WSEP), which aims to change the mindset, attitude and behaviour of South Africans in water and sanitation use efficiency.

Mavasa further said as one of WSEP’s sub-programmes, the Public Speaking competition aims to achieve water and sanitation literacy. He added that, under the theme: “The increasing threat of climate change to the environment and water resources necessitates communities to take radical action”, 33 high school learners throughout the North West province contended for the top six positions by developing and presenting topics.

“They were then judged based on the competition’s theme and on their presentations. Eleven Grade 10 -11 learners from North West are from Mmabatho High School, Ikopanyeng High School from Setlagole, Ramotshere High School, Tong High School in Ganyesa, Malatse High School, ZM Seatlholo High School in Lotlhakane, Letsatsing High School, Pinagare Secondary School, Klerksdorp High School, Golf View High School and Seleje High School.

“These schools competed towards the winning provincial positions. Specialists in the science and engineering fields listened attentively, while they adjudicated to the well-researched performances by this country’s future scientists and engineers, and were highly impressed, especially during the competition’s rebuttals and dialogue session,” said Mavasa.

He said, however, as learners were judged according to their individual performances and school performance, only the ‘cream of the crop’ had to be chosen. Mavasa said eventually, six top learners fit to represent the province in the National Public Speaking Competitions were selected.

The winning team of the North West Provincial Public Speaking team are as follows:

Manthatisi Tau and Naledi Molaolwa from Golf View High School

Kholiwe Sokhupa from ZM Seatlholo High School

Matshidiso Mbotshela from Letsatsing High School

Lesedi Baloyi and Karabo Mampe from Malatse High School

The six learners will contend for 27 tertiary bursaries and 27 laptops with other eight Provinces this year in Pretoria.

“The Department of Water and Sanitation’s mantra “Water is life and Sanitation is dignity” is self-explanatory and that is why the department is committed to securing specific scarce and technical skills such as engineering, geohydrology, environmental management, engineering and other water sciences courses to the youth to ensure that they continue managing this country’s water resources sustainably,” he said.

The Department of Water and Sanitation’s Educational Programme Manager in the North West, Peter Mogosetso said: “South Africa is one of the driest countries in the world and that the school’s intervention programme, is not a competition but one of the many awareness campaigns.

“Today’s learners are already feeling the negative effects of water scarcity in their communities and schools and that is why the subject of water use and efficiency has been introduced in the school Curriculum by the Department of Education to conscientize the country’s young minds about the importance of water and the need to protect it.”

One of the adjudicators Gladness Masindi, who is a Geo-hydrologist from the Department of Water and Sanitation, commended learners in this year’s competitions and encouraged them to continue seizing all the opportunities provided by the department.

She encouraged the learners to apply for tertiary bursary, which is currently open and closing on 30 November 2023. Masindi said information pertaining to the Department of Water and Sanitation external bursary can be found on the web page (http://www.dws.gov.za/LearningA).

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Setshwantsho: Diphologolo tsa naga dishele

Ka OBAKENG MAJE

Balemi-rui kwa sedikeng sa Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati ba ikuela go puso go ba tlhaga thuso mo twantshong kgatlhanong le melelo ya naga e e tsweletseng go fisa masimo a bone. Mo dibekeng tse tharo tse di fetileng, melelo ya naga ene ya tswelela go fisa masimo ga mmogo le naga, mme diphologolo dile dintsi di ile tsa amega thata.

Mokhuduthamaga wa lefapha la Temo-Thuo le Tlhabololo ya Naga mo Bokone Bophirima, Desbo Mohono o ikuetse go baagi go se fise naga, gonne seo se baka tatlhegelo e kgolo ya moruo. Mohono one a buisana le Motsweding FM, mme are baagi ba ele tlhoko gonne seo se ka tswa se bakiwa ke phetogo ya lewapi.  

“Ke utlwile botlhoko thata go bona seno se diragala. Ga re gane ke setlha sa melelo, mme gona le batho ba ba tsweletseng go tlhotlheletsang mathata a renang le one a melelo. Gole gantsi, ke go ikgatholosa ga batho ba ba gotsang melelo. Fa o gotsitse molelo, netefatsa gore molelo o timile gotlhelele.

“Ra tlhaloganya gore re sentse rena le bagaetsho ba ba setseng ba dirisa molelo go apaya mo di karolong dingwe tsa porofense. Jaanong, fa molelo o o sa timiwe, o tla baka mathata. Gape, se sengwe se se tlholang melelo ke batsumi ba rona kwa nageng,” Mohono wa tlhalosa.

Mohono are go le gantsi fa batsumi bao ba lelekisitse kolobe ya naga e be e tsena mo mosimeng, ba gotsa molelo gore e tswe. Mohono are jaanong fa kolobe eo e tswa mo mosimeng e tshaba, batsumi bao ga ba sa tlhole ba lebelela molelo, mme ba shebana le go tshwara kolobe.

“Jaanong, seo se feleletsa se ama mahulo a rona. Gape se sengwe se se bakang melelo, ke fa naga ya rona ele tshetlha, e kgona go tshubelwa ke magadima. Ke gopola gore seno se ile sa diragala kwa masepaleng wa Kagisano-Molopo.  

“Le batho ba ba gogang metsoko ba feleletsa ba latlhela metsoko eo ya bone mo nageng, mme e feleletse e bakile melelo. Se baagi ba ka se dirang ka nako ya go runya ga molelo, ke go leka go o tima fa o sentse ole monnye, mme fela fa o setse o godile re ba rotloetsa gore ba se tsene mo molelo owa, gonne o ka ba bakela dikgobalo,” Mohono wa tlhalosa.

Mohono are gona le mekgatlho e e farologaneng ya melelo, jaanong baagi ba ka dirisana mmogo le yone. Are, molelo wa matsatsi a o kotsi gonne wa fofa.

“Go le gantsi re itemogela gore molelo o kgona go tlola tsela ya sekontere, mme seo ga sa tlwaelega. Re rotloetsa balemi-rui ba rona go nna le dikgorwana tse di thibelang melelo (fire belts). Re tla gopola gore, phetogo ya lewapi le yone e fetotse dilo dile dintsi jaanong re tshwanetse re tsamaye le dinako.  

“Gape, gona le dithupelelo tse re di dirang jaaka lefapha, mme re di neele bagaetsho go ka leka go samagana le melelo e e ntseng jalo. Re rotloetsa gape balemi-rui ba rona e nne karolo ya thupelelo eo fa re neelana ka yone,” Mohono wa tlhalosa.

Mohono are ba rotloetsa gape dimasepala tsa porofense gore ba netefatse fa melao le melawana e latelwa. Mohono are ba rotloetsa balemi-rui go netefatsa fa ba na le di insurance go netefatsa fa ba thusega ka nako ya mathata.

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