Tournament is hailed as “one of the few spaces where womxn can discuss their issues in the absence of trash”.
A Wits University student has been selected to be the chief adjudicator at the East African Universities Debating Championship taking place in Kenya on August 19 – 25.
Atlehang Molefe, a third-year BA student got selected after she won the Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) Womxn’s Open Debate Tournament 2019 that took place in Gaborone on August 9 – 11.
She partnered with a North West University BHSc honours student, Nametsegang Mokae, under the team name ‘Medusa’.
The duo dominated the tournament by beating contestants from Zimbabwe, Botswana, and South Africa with the final motion being ‘The feminine adaptations of male superheroes’.
The non-registration fee debate tournament was adjudicated by women and, “It was a space where all women could gather and discuss issues affecting them and come up with solutions,” Molefe told Wits Vuvuzela.
“I strongly recommend that we only allow women to convene tournaments in the circuit because they do the absolute most [work hard] and go above and beyond everyone’s expectations,” the 20-year-old said, adding that the tournament was “a safe space for women and one of the few spaces where women can discuss their issues in the absence of trash [men]”.
Third-year BA student and Wits Debating Union (WDU) treasurer, Shannon Wardlaw, told Wits Vuvuzela that Molefe prepares for opens by picking her partners carefully so that they balance each other as speakers.
“She is always at every practice and attending the Opens which makes her grow as a speaker because she is a very active member of WDU.
“She is one of the best speakers right now and she is the best contender to go to the world tournament later this year,” said Wardlaw.
Molefe told Wits Vuvuzela, “This marks a very successful year for my debating career. The BAC open is my second title of the year [following the Jozi Rumble] and it has afforded me the opportunity to be invited as chief adjudicator at major debating tournaments.”
FEATURE IMAGE: Atlehang Molefe is the debating champion. Photo: Provided
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