admin
It is the first time that an entire school team has qualified for the competition as in the past, individuals from different school teams have been selected to participate in the event.
The team is made up of two members, Charmaine Nyakonda doing Lower Sixth and Nicola Hove in Upper Sixth and their coach Ms Karitas Nyika, a teacher at the school.
In an interview on Wednesday, Ms Nyika expressed gratitude to Mines and Mining Development Minister Dr Obert Mpofu for taking care of their travelling expenses to the South American country.
“We are very excited that we are the first team to ever qualify for this international competition. It will be held from 1 to 15 July in Leon City, Mexico. Many pupils from the country have participated as individuals but we are the first to participate as a team from one school.
“In this regard, we wish to express our appreciation to ZABG Bank, which through Dr Mpofu, donated $10 000 towards our travel expenses. We are very grateful. When we applied we were just taking chances but our dream still came true,” said Ms Nyika.
She said her team had applied to enter the competition and were then nominated to compete.
“For us to be nominated we had to display skills in public speaking and after a series of questions, we qualified to enter the competition,” said Ms Nyika.
She called on well-wishers to assist the team, as it still needed funds for transport and subsistence allowances in Mexico.
“I am so excited because this is a chance to go out there and show the world that our country has potential since there are stereotypes associated with Zimbabweans. We will participate in different styles of debate that include Karl Popper and the British Parliamentary Style,” said one of the pupils, Nicola.
Another team member, Charmaine, said their qualification proved that it was possible for schools especially in Matabeleland to compete with the best in the world.
“We are going to set a standard for our school and those in Matabeleland so that other pupils can be motivated to do more. We are grateful to everyone who made this possible and we promise to represent our country to the best of our ability and showcase our culture.”
Online Reporter