WINNERS! Brave new SA voices speak out
STEPHEN Buabeng-Daidoo is a winner, with his moving speech about the lack of affirmation and empowerment of the ordinary citizen for their roles in the liberation struggle
PROUD: Sowetan nation building manager Victor Mecoamere, left, second-placed Avuyile Gasela, overall winner Stephen Buabeng-Baidoo, third-placed Ayanda Twani and Anglo American executive director Godfrey Gomwe PHOTOS: ANTONIO MUCHAVE
ELOQUENT YOUTHS: From left Thobeka Nkabinde, Omphile Khoele, Christiaan Kruger, Josephine Peka, Avuyile Gasela, Stephen Buabeng-Baidoo, Gomolemo Moloko, Ayanda Twani and Molebogeng Tsomole.
Our top winners scooped R60,000, R40,000 and R30,000 respectively. The money will be used towards their tertiary education
STEPHEN Buabeng-Baidoo is the new champion of the Department of Basic Education-endorsed Anglo American and Sowetan Young Communicators Awards, South Africa's leading youth leadership development programme through public speaking.
Buabeng-Baidoo, from Gauteng, pipped eight other eloquent youths from across the country.
His closest competitors were second-placed Avuyile Gasela from KwaZulu-Natal and Ayanda Twani from Eastern Cape, while the other bright sparks were Molebogeng Tsomole from Free State, Gomolemo Moloko From Mpumalanga, Omphile Khoele from North West, Christiaan Kruger from Northern Cape, Thobeka Nkabinde from Western Cape and Josephine Peka from Limpopo.
Adding lustre to the whole affair was the event's programme director for 2011, the inimitable radio and television personality Anele Mdoda, who is best known for her presenting on 5FM and the SABC2 showSA's Got Talent.
Marking the 18th year of a nation-building project's partnership with Sowetan and the Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundation, Anglo American's executive director Godfrey Gomwe reiterated the mining company's commitment to South Africa.
"Our global business has strong roots in South Africa, and we have always had a real stake in the country's welfare and development," Gomwe said. "We have constantly striven to not only mine safely and profitably, but to make a significant difference wherever weoperate."
Gomwe said Anglo American's philosophy of creating a positive impact on the lives of the people "who work for us, as well as the people in the communities in which we have a presence", is based on nation-building partnerships, including that of the YCA.
Buabeng-Daidoo gave a moving speech about the lack of affirmation and empowerment of the ordinary citizen for their roles in the liberation struggle. The contents and mature presentation of the speech - titled Cries of Forgotten Souls - belied his teenage years.
Buabeng-Baidoo said in part that: "In the chaos of the Soweto uprisings of June 16 1976, and in the the voting lines of 1994 (during SA's first democratic elections which ended decades of apartheid rule), it seems that time and time again this nation has achieved great things - not through individual might - but, (through) the bravery of those unknown few, who came together to form a collective brilliance.
"Men and women who alone were nothing more than barbers, maids and under-achieving schoolchildren who found strength in numbers and the will to face bullets without fear."
Gasela was not to be overshadowed in his equally-effective take on South Africa's obsession with skin colour, via a speech titled I Am Black Enough.
"I refuse to be labelled a black baas! I refuse to be ostracised because of my "not-black-enough" accent. If blackness is to be measured by (one's) level of poverty, by education, geographical location, then I do not know this black. I do not want it!"
Twani was also forceful in her take on the world around her, in a speech titled The Prisoner. "South Africa is engulfed by one of the most painful histories of our time. One of our post-apartheid struggles is the fear of crime, which is propelled by the misconception that white people are targets and black people the present-day perpetrators."
Buabeng-Baidoo, Gasela and Twani scooped R60,000, R40,000 and R30,000 respectively. The money will be used towards their tertiary education. These are significant increases from the original prize money of R30,000, R20,000 and R15,000 respectively.
somaartakeit
well done lads, you are the future leaders of this country, go out there and shine that torch of hope for SAns, show that the sky is not a limit to what they can become but they are the limit to what they can achieve, you go future leaders!!!Report Abuse
ntwempe
This is the kind of news we will real like to read most of the time well done top 3 students those who didn't make it they always be the next time.Report Abuse
Selaulauphirimapetla
Well done sowetan this is what we deserve, always a winnerReport Abuse
madamx
Tjo sowetan! Kgante le kgona go bolela dilo tse dintle ka batho?Maar the sad thing is, good news does not sell paper.
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Papage
This is what I call good news, not naked idiots and ebarassing Pastors. Can someone out there protect those kids and guide them to the great hights, they must never get lost in the system. I dont mind contributing financially to help such commited brains, who will tomorrow lead this country.well done Sowetan on this one,
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moll
@ Ramalekellekwaaakwaaaakwaaa!!!, why r u doubting kanti? to be honest i have the same doubt, i could hardly read d boy's surname but dat is not important , the point is that the boy can put his speech better than u Ramalekelle, dats 4 sure ,tltltl!!!
@all... gud morning Mzansi!!!
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BiBi
@Ramalekelle and Mollkikiki nisile even worse noSowetan uthi Buabeng-Baidoo/Daidoo yah neh
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Tshephy
Weldone Guys, you rock my World! Specifically for Ayanda... You rock girl, I appreciate knowing you and later seeing you doing this... Keep up the good work, let more Grahamstown'ians (Or actually Eastern Cape'ians as your origin province) follow you, after recognising what you've done. Victoria Girls High should be super-excited to have you as one of their learners, we are looking forward to seeing more and more as time goes ... You're a star!Report Abuse