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Anglo American and the Sowetan have played host to the Young Communicators Awards since 1993. Below are excerpts from speeches made by the 2001 finalists
Susanna Schoeman, overall winner
(Hoerskool Rustenburg, North West)
Give a second chance
”’Peter J Daniel, you are no good, you’re a bad apple and you’re never going to amount to anything!’ Those were the words of Mrs Phillips, little Peter’s fourth grade teacher. Now Peter owns the street corners where he used to play, and he has just published his latest book with the title Mrs Phillips, You Were Wrong! … We were wrong because our first impression was based on intolerance, indifference and ignorance. We saw the flesh and bone, but we did not spare a glance to see the soul of that person. We did not give them a second chance.”
Petronella Palesa Makhata
(St Boniface High School, Northern Cape)
Mandela versus rapists
‘Hear my voice South Africa, for your daughter is living in pain either because she has been raped or because she fears that she has not been victimised yet, and her turn is yet to come.”
Ja’nette Kitshoff
(Ho’rskool Nelspruit, Mpumalanga)
What makes an adolescent tick?
”When parents and teachers start believing in teenagers, teenagers start believing in themselves. When adults tell teenagers that there is a future, and that the future is what you make of it, these teenagers start dreaming .”
Asanda Bhuda, second place
(Riebeeck College, Eastern Cape)
Time Wasted
”It is important that we use time in a very effective way. We need to prioritise our time, so that we don’t waste any more time. We should remember, the more days go by, the closer we get to death.”
Su-Mari Van Denter, thrid place
(Ho’rskool Nylstroom, Northern Province)
Dreams do have significant influence on our everyday lives
”Just as the biggest tree started as a small seed, some of the biggest inventions in the world started as a small idea and developed into an ideal, an aspiration then a reality.”
Bridget Mbanjwa
(Pietersburg Girls High, KwaZulu-Natal)
Is it a question of acceptance or readiness when it comes to South Africa hosting the World Cup?
”The fans create an overwhelming ambience. The atmosphere is absolutely exhilarating – war cries thump and roar from supporters dressed in their vibrant team colours as they urge the players to dribble, to pass, to score.”
Aubrey Adoons
(Welkom High School, Free State)
South African belongs to all of us
”To be or not to be, that is the question. To be an African born and bred in South Africa or African from a distant land, yet still an African in one’s heart?”
Catherine Ngobeni
(Kgadime Matsepe High, Gauteng)
Is it the time we live in?
”As adolescents, we are the future of this country. The future of this country is in our hands. We should say no to all negativities. We should try to maintain our identity and our principles … As torch bearers, you owe it to the younger generation to be positive role models.”
Yolanda Lundt
(Hoerskool Augsburg, Western Cape)
Gambling
”Place your bets please! The wheel spins, chips are placed, the croupier hands a stack to a new player. The atmosphere is hushed. There is an air of expectancy. No more bets … families abandoned for hours even days while gamblers follow the winning streak.”
– The Teacher/M&G Media, Johannesburg, August 2001.
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