Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School learner, Iminathi Bacela, has been selected for the South African National Debating team to participate in Kenya
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Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School learner, Iminathi Bacela, has been selected for the South African National Debating team that will represent the country at the upcoming World Schools’ Debating Championships in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Grade 12 learner from Scottsville in Pietermaritzburg, is thrilled to have earned a place in the coveted five-member national squad.
Her selection marks the first time in nearly a decade that a speaker from Pietermaritzburg and the wider KwaZulu-Natal region has earned a place in the five-member national squad.
"This is an amazing achievement which I have been working towards since joining the debating club at school in Grade 8. At school level this is the highest level one can achieve in debating to represent at the World Schools' Debating Championships.
"You compete against participants from around the world. It has been my dream to wear the Protea emblem near my chest and to represent my country at the highest level of debating in the world. Out of the hundreds of learners that make it to Nationals, only five get to go to Worlds. I worked tirelessly, educating myself on things I didn’t necessarily like, sports and economics, while nurturing my love for feminism and identity politics. I hope to bring home the trophy," said Bacela.
Last year she was a member of Team SA's developmental team that participated in Bangkok in the Asia World School Debating Championship.
speaking about her latest achievement, she said she was shortlisted from 30 other learners who competed for a spot in the Team SA trials that took place last month.
"You are assessed on how you perform in the training process while competing virtually against teams from other countries, how good you are at arguing, your style, how persuasive you are when speaking, your impact and your contribution to the overall team performance," said Bacela.
She said it was important to be knowledgeable on topics in order to make the team, adding that some have strengths in certain areas more than others.
"I enjoy all things literature. In the debating space you have a lot of resources to educate yourself. I particularly enjoy motions in international relations, feminism and identity politics.
"The common debating topics are on economics, feminism, identity politics, environmental issues and sports motions," said Bacela.
For her, debating extends beyond competition and academics, serving as a platform for advocacy on the global stage.
During recent debates against international teams, she said she encountered outdated perceptions about the continent.
"As the youth, we have the responsibility to continue to champion Africa, to show its talent and the beauty that exists intellectually," she said.
As she prepares to compete against some of the world’s top young debaters in Kenya in July, Bacela encouraged fellow learners to pursue their ambitions and challenge existing narratives.
"Remain curious, shift the narratives that exist around our nation... fight to create a name that not only reaches milestones, but transcends borders," she said.