By SIYAMTHANDA PONGCO
As a guest judge for the IsiXhosa category in Public Speaking Competition organised by RU Toastmasters for Nombulelo High School learners, I witnessed a great finale on 30 September first-hand. The minute I walked into the room, I could see the confidence of all these young learners. They were not scared nor fazed by the calibre of the people in the audience.
My anxiety would have overwhelmed me at that age, and I would have crumbled long before the competition started. But these young kids did not show any signs of fear. They couldn’t wait for the competition to start.
Most potent were the topics the pupils were presenting. They talked about real-life issues, such as climate change, gender-based violence, and unemployment. These topics were well-researched and presented, but that is not the point. For me, it was the courage these students showed – how they continued to push themselves even when they showed little signs of fear here and there.
Bonolo Moche, the President of the RU Toastmasters, said all those young Nombulelo learners were winners just for taking the first step and agreeing to participate in the competition.
He embedded belief in those learners; you could see it in their faces. Bonolo said he and his team were lucky to witness these pupils’ transition as they underwent intense training over the year.
He said he was not just moved by this project but was liberated as he got to learn from these pupils and better understand them.
Tebogo Nelisa Malatjie said this was a team effort led by the RUToastmasters’ Community Engagement Representative. Malatjie thanked the participants from Nombulelo High School, assuring them that this was just the beginning. “The best is yet to come,” Nelisa said.
Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.
Malatjie said the mission of the Rhodes University Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every participant has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.
“Our vision for the community engagement program is to help improve participants’ communication abilities and provide educational materials,” she said.
Some of the goals of the RU Toastmasters
- To empower individuals to venture out of their comfort zones.
- To provide dynamic, high-value, experiential communication and leadership skills development.
- To promote inclusivity and multilingualism.
- These training sessions prepare for an interschool and local public speaking competition.
The winner of the isiXhosa speech category was Peter Simthandile, while Siphuxolo Omhle Mpako won the English speech category.
Bonolo thanked Nombulelo, Rhodes University Community Engagement, the parents, and the community of Makhanda for continuing to embrace and believe in the town’s youth.
English Category
• Buwa Iviwe
• Botha Alutha
• Mpako Siphuxolo
• Gazi Baxolise
• Prince Nomaphelo
• Fulani Sinoyolo
IsiXhosa Category
• Peter Simthandile
• Vena Oyisa
• Lenya Siphesihle
• Iviwe Buwa
