PUBLIC speaking competitions help unleash the potential of future leaders, especially when they encourage the youth's analytical and critical thinking skills.

PUBLIC speaking competitions help unleash the potential of future leaders, especially when they encourage the youth's analytical and critical thinking skills.

This is was what Eastern Cape education MEC Mahlubandile Quase said when he spoke to sudents, teachers and parents in East London during the provincial leg of the Anglo American and Sowetan Young Communicators Awards.

"While debating competitions improve the children's proficiency in languages, including English, they also help strengthen their research skills and improve their communication skills," Quase said.

Eastern Cape winners are Bonolo Cebe of Collegiate Girls High School, Mati Ndhlovu of Clarendon Girls High School and Lisa Dondashe of Riebeeck Girls High School.

Cebe represents the province at the 2009 YCA finals in Johannesburg on June 20. She joins Limpopo's Leandre Buys, Mpumalanga's Thandekile Maseko, Gauteng's Ndumiso Hadebe, North West's Tsholofelo Sebolao, Northern Cape's Shanice Titus, Free State's Alfesenzo Sethole and KwaZulu-Natal's Mnelisi Gasa. Western Cape eliminations take place in Worcester on June 6.

This Anglo American corporate social investment and responsibility project is a key youth development activity of the Aggrey Klaaste Nation Building Foundation.