PRIMARY and Secondary Education Minister, Paul Mavhima on Friday applauded scholar, Kwame Muzawawi and CBZ Holdings for establishing a schools debate initiative for students across the country.
The debate championship promotes an analytical way of thinking in students and at its inception, it catered for primary schools only.
Schools representing all 10 provinces were competing at both primary and secondary level with five (5) participants from each school.
CBZ Holdings was partnering with Institute of Africa Knowledge (INSTAK) chaired by prominent Zimbabwean scholar and diplomat, Kwame Muzawazi.
“I want to express my own heartfelt gratitude for this programme that ambassador with your institute have been running for a number of years. I think we were in Bulawayo last time,” Mavhima said while officiating at the event.
“It really talks to our updated curriculum where we are creating leadership for these youngsters, where we are creating a platform for mentoring these youngsters, where we are making real our aspiration to have profiles, where our learners can communicate at any level. By the way, success is a communication competition; those who communicate well tend to be more successful,”said Mavima.
“So this is an invaluable contribution you are making to our learners in Zimbabwe and also the support that CBZ is giving is invaluable. It makes it possible to traverse the entirety of this country finding youngsters with the talent to debate and bringing them together in healthy competition.”
The education minister went on to commend the behaviour of the contestants who showed much tolerance even when battling for the same prize.
“I was really amazed by what was happening here. As debaters were called to the podium, the biggest applause was coming from the competing teams which shows the level of citizenship that we should always have,” he said.
Of the secondary schools competing, Mtshabezi, St James, St Faith’s and St Ignatius made it to the semi-finals with 107, 108, 112 and 112 points respectively.
At primary level, the defending champions, St Joseph’s, Lady Tait, St Christopher and Mtshane reached the semi-finals.
St Joseph’s Primary School and Emhlangeni High School scooped the first positions and bagged this year’s trophies.
