This flagship project, which began nearly 15 years ago, uses the power of public speaking to engage young minds and instill a culture of road safety. According to Ms. Hillary Mophethe, the department’s head of communications, the competition’s goal is to empower learners with the ability and confidence to speak in public and compete in debates.

 The program operates on a tiered system: schools first compete at a district level, with the winners advancing to the provincial stage, and finally, to the national finals.

“The idea is that the competition rotates from provinces at different levels,” said Mophethe. The competition is structured into three categories: urban, rural, and disability. 

Participating schools are tasked with researching and presenting on one to three road safety challenges relevant to their communities. “While the categories are based on school location, the choice of topic is not restricted,” said Mophethe

The department and RTMC take a hands-off approach to learner preparation. Instead, teachers and principals are responsible for guiding students, allocating time for research and practice. 

The department of community safety, roads and transport, is set to host the provincial competitions for the Debate and Participatory Education Techniques (PET) programme in Kroonstad. Photo: Facebook

According to the department, road safety remains a critical concern in South Africa. “The country faces one of the highest road fatality rates in the world, with over 40 lives lost daily to road crashes and a further 20 people left permanently disabled. 

“Hundreds more suffer serious injuries, contributing to an estimated one million road crashes annually,” they said.

The department and the RTMC have been putting in a lot of effort to promote road safety through community engagement initiatives and school visits in response to this problem. 

These contests are a crucial component of the initiative to educate the youth to serve as ambassadors for traffic safety in their towns and families.

While the competition is currently limited to high school students, there is hope for expansion, Mophethe added. “For now, public participation is primarily channelled through school involvement.”

OFM News/Refilwe Bekane mvh