Beverly Bizeki
A team of four Zimuto High School pupils in Masvingo raised the country’s flag high after winning the first runner-up award at the just-ended Pan African University Debate (PAUD) championship regional competition held in Togo recently.
Child Vice President Theophilus Beans together with his teammates Nicole Jirivengwa, Vespas Makado, and Solace Zunza won the first runner-up in Accumulative Speaker Points Award.
Beans said the Zimuto team was the only high school team that competed among the 20 countries and 62 teams that took part in the competitions.
“We first attended the Sustainable Environment competition held in Mazowe where we came first among high schools making us eligible to attend the PAUD competitions in Togo although we were the only high school that took part in the competitions.
School Head Harrison Mashava said as a school they were happy with the team’s achievement and upholding the new curriculum.
“We are happy that the team is raising not only the school’s flag high but also the province and the country as well. They were competing with universities with them being the only high school there and they managed to scoop the first runner-up award which is a very big achievement.
“We are also happy that they are upholding the new curriculum which was introduced to achieve vision 2030,” said Mashava.
Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Ezra Chadzamira said the team should continue working hard as the youth are the future and more importantly remember that as Africans they are not inferior.
“We want to encourage the team to continue working hard and uplift our country as it now belongs to them. We must also know that as Africans we are not inferior, never think someone better will come to take your place. You have the mandate to uplift the country and you have shown that you are hardworking and should keep on doing that,” said Chadzamira.