adminRumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe Moot Court team returned last night to a thunderous reception following its victory in the final of the European Moot Court Championships held in Romania.
The team was met at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by families, schoolmates, teachers and sponsors.
Speaking on arrival, team captain Ruvimbo Simbi said they were looking forward to new championships.
“This was a lifetime experience and we are happy that it was brought to Zimbabwe. We are thankful to all Zimbabweans, they were with us from the beginning and we are glad that we brought pride to Zimbabwe.
“It is our dream to participate at the highest level of debate. Hopefully, we will continue searching for international debate tournaments which we can take part in and continue achieving titles like these ones and we can continue to make our mark on the international scene.”
The team thanked President Mnangagwa for his support in their journey to becoming world champions. The President, on behalf of the Government, gave US$30 000 to the team before it left Harare for Romania.
“The support we received from the President was the biggest. When he gave us his support, he said it was from the Government of Zimbabwe, making it clear that it was from the whole of Zimbabwe. So we are grateful to the entire nation. We couldn’t have made it without their support,” said Ruvimbo.
Team coach Mr Nqobile Dube said the journey had just started for his wards.
“This has been an incredible journey. The support that we have received was tremendous. The competition was stiff but l am glad that we came out victorious just to show the amount of talent that exists in our country. This is a proud moment not only for the team but for Zimbabwe and the African continent,” he said.
He said the success had come about due to hard work and resilience on the part of the team.
Mr Dube said a national competition would be held to select the national moot court team for next year.
“We are planning to have a moot court competition for Africa. The whole world now wants to come to Zimbabwe and experience our mooting abilities. We will take the programme to the whole country so that more children can participate and learn about moot court,” said Mr Dube.
Parents who spoke to The Herald expressed their pride in the success of their children.
Mr Norkay Khuleya said it was every parent’s dream for their child to do well and his has come true.
“Kuziva is the fourth of our children and it makes me feel very happy that he has done so well. I have told him that success is perishable so he needs to continue to work very hard,” he said.
Another parent Mr Chrispen Makoni said: “My child has made me proud, in fact, all these children have made their parents proud. We will continue to support their dreams.”
Ms Prisca Choto also praised the team for working hard to achieve success.
“I am so excited about their success. My daughter did well and l am happy that they have showed the world their abilities. I wish them all the best as they continue pursuing their studies, “ she said.
The team was drawn from four high schools: Dominican Convent, Peterhouse, Midlands Christian College and Arundel.
Zimbabwe was the first African country to compete and the first to win. The team participated in six preliminary rounds against Scotland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Switzerland and Bulgaria.
In May, the team was crowned world champions after winning the 2022 World Moot Court competition hosted virtually by the United States, resulting in them being invited to participate in the European Moot Competition.
A moot court simulates a real court where students are made to participate in staged court proceedings that are related to a fictional dispute between parties.
Moot courts are mostly conducted in law schools where the students are made to practice in order to develop skills required to pursue their careers in the field of law as lawyers, arbitrators and judges.
Online Reporter