Stop blaming others, youth urged
"I want people to actually take responsibility for their decisions" - Ditlhopho Makwela (16)
WINNER: Ditlhopho MakwelaA YOUNG girl from Mafikeng in North West left the audience with tongues wagging on Saturday when she posed the question 'Who is to Blame' at the 19th edition of the Sowetan and Anglo American Young Communicators Awards in the Legislature's chambers at the weekend.
Sixteen-year-old Ditlhopho Makwela, a Grade 11 pupil at the Zeerust Combined School, became the overall winner, and will represent North West at the national finals in Johannesburg in July.
Ditlhopho referred her topic to schoolgirls who wear miniskirts at school and get fooled by teachers who tell them that they love them.
After winning the competition Ditlhopho said young people tend to blame other people after making the wrong choices. The adjudicators were also impressed by her confidence, fluency, knowledge of her topic and maturity.
"I wanted people to actually take responsibility for their decisions. As young people we tend to do things without thinking and when the consequences come we have a habit of blaming others. Taking responsibility is the first step to becoming a better person," she said.
Ditlhopho said she had always been a person who wanted to voice her views. She is fond of public speaking and wants to study at the world's best universities after completing matric.
"My short-term goal is to study abroad and come back to South Africa to make a difference in the lives of South African," she said. - tshehleb@sowetan.co.za
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Comments
MakeSAwork
We need more youngsters like this....Good luck for the future Ditlhopho, I am sure you will reach your goals.
What a refreshing read.
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RobinH
WONDERFUL: What a sharp young lady. More power to you, Ditlhopho!Report Abuse
MsKinkyakaKamaSutra
After winning the competition Ditlhopho said young people tend to blame other people after making the wrong choices.**************************************************************************************************************
@Dithlopho, congrats girl
If only most youths had a reasoning capacity like yours, Mzansi would be a better place to live in and with the less expenses on child grants....
The onus is also on the teachers, they are in position of authority and should not only respect themselves but the profession and also guide the young ones.
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CheeseBoy
Thank you sowetan for publishing this heart inspiring article as one of the leading stories. these kind of stories give us hope as a community that there are kids out there with a head on their shoulders. Ditlhopho Makwela you are a true example of a young lady who knows what she wants out of life. keep it up, wish there were more like you.Report Abuse
Ann
just look @ her, no make up and no fake hair, beutiful isnt she?Report Abuse
netsianda893
firstly i am impressed at these young age you are making things happen please keep up the good work and i wish you all the best Ditlhopho!Report Abuse
LERATOLANNA
you gp girl!!!!Report Abuse
JUBJUB
Keep it up nanaReport Abuse
RipApart
@ JZ, who is to blame?........learn from a 16 year old.Report Abuse
7000000
This article is appealing! It is a great achievement for South Africa to have a Youth at that age being more responsible and reasonable than a former Youth League President who is not a match when coming to straight thinking. It is an achievement for South Africa to have a girl child who have realized that Comrades are using their ill-gotten money to abuse lots of Women and baby girls out there I wish all Women were that wise otherwise Sicheka and Zuma and other flat of Ministers, MEC , Premiers and Mayors will not be having 19 children from different mothers. Lord bless hanger because it makes women to forget about reality and abuse because of YOU hanger shame on you hanger! May the Good Lord guide you and help you realize all your dreams, Comrade Angie Motshekga and Blade Nzimande must be happy about the girls 's ambition to study abroad but why!! Because she is wise to see that all Comrades are taking their kids to UK , USA and Japan because they know that the education that they are giving to our Masses here is nothing but rubbish, thank you for being so aware my girl in fact you deserve to be a future Minister of Education because you are reasonable than both Ministers concerned and combined, is just that you do not have ANC card and a good connecting friend to get you there. ALL of our leaders are only leading because of ANC ''ticket'' not because they can but because they are well connected and their friend happen to be a Premier or President, that is why South Africa is like that , we are being led by people who does not know anything about leading!! Shame on on our leadership!!Report Abuse
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