Faith Ndlovu, Sunday Life Reporter
GIFFORD High School’s debate team will in December represent the country at a SADC regional debate competition, set to be held in Botswana.
This comes after the Bulawayo-based school recently won the Orate Africa Debate National Tournament 2024 in Honde Valley, Manicaland Province, outshining 50 schools to secure first place.
The triumph earned the school an opportunity to represent Zimbabwe in Botswana at the Orate Africa Debate Regional Tournament, facing off with other teams from the SADC region. The team comprises three Form-Three pupils, Victor Garai, Kuda Mahambo and Joshua Chatindo and Lindani Ncube who is in Upper Six.
In an interview, Gifford High School head, Bongai Dewa, expressed her gratitude to the debate patron, Jack Irimayi who guided the team to victory. “Debate has been doing well under the supervision of Mr Jack Irimayi. We are very excited, overwhelmed that we won that prestigious national trophy and we pray and believe that the team will come back victors in Botswana, raising the country’s flag very high,” said Dewa.
“Debate is a very important club in schools, we groom leaders and through debate they gain confidence about themselves and they can convincingly express their views, hence it takes a lot of practice to be where we are today,” she said.
In an interview with Sunday Life, Irimayi said the team is now awaiting tournament motions to finalise preparations, expressing confidence in their ability to deliver outstanding results. “We are not going to represent Gifford High School, but we are also going to positively represent Bulawayo as a province and represent Zimbabwe as a whole,” he said.
Gifford High School
He, however, revealed that as the team prepares for the international competition, they are grappling with logistical challenges, particularly raising sufficient funds to cover travel costs. To facilitate their attendance, the team seeks over US$2 000.
“We are still trying to find organisations or willing individuals that can assist the school in making us get to that tournament that would be held in Gaborone, University of Botswana,” Irimayi said. Despite the challenges, the team confidently says it is on good feet to win the tournament and will shock the other participants.
“Ever since we have been running the debate team as of 2016, we have done great, this is not the only national tournament we have won. As a school, we have managed to clinch the Africa Debate Tournament (2024), Royal Parks Debate Tournament (2023) and the Zimbabwe Code Debate Tournament (2016),” said Irimayi.
“We have never run out of brilliant and talented speakers that are willing to take debate to another level.” Members of the debate team said they were excited to be ambassadors of the country in the regional tournament.
“Debating isn’t just about representation; it’s showcasing Zimbabwe’s talent, values and impactful argumentative skills,” said one of the debate members, Victor Garai. Another member, Lindani Ncube, highlighted that they want to showcase the Zimbabwean culture and traditions to the world.
“Regardless of the bad things that people say about Zimbabwe, which are not true to start with, we want to show them the massive good things and talents that the world had not yet prepared to witness,” said Lindani.