The Debating Society at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) made great strides at the South African National Universities’ Debating Championships, when Jack Malope and Sibusiso Mdluli qualified for the finals in the competition held from the 9th to the 15th of July in Pretoria.
The Debating Society at the University of Johannesburg (UJ) made great strides at the South African National Universities’ Debating Championships, when Jack Malope and Sibusiso Mdluli qualified for the finals in the competition held from the 9th to the 15th of July in Pretoria.
Debating in general and especially University debating in South Africa, attracts some of the top students from a number of fields. Over the last 10 years, many prestigious scholarships have been awarded to debaters, including 4 Rhodes Scholarships, and many debaters go on to study at the most prestigious universities in the world, including Oxford and Cambridge. A number of the delegates are also involved in youth politics, showing that debaters are active members of society who strive to achieve their potential.
“It is a huge accomplishment to have gone through to the finals, as the team being challenged does not know what the topic is until the start of the debate, and only gets 15 minutes to prepare. We do not have a particular favourite topic, but it is good for our members to be well-rounded in all topics ranging from social issues, politics, and international relations to economics and many more. The debate always continues and we have to be prepared to argue our standpoint about anything,” says Jack Malope, chairperson of UJ Debating Society.
