MMABATHO HIGH TRIUMPHS THE NGAKA MODIRI MOLEMA ROAD SAFETY SCHOOLS’ DEBATE
SETLAGOLE – A formidable team of Mmabatho High School consisting nine girls showcased the power of a woman’s brain when they claimed victory over four other schools during the Ngaka Modiri Molema Road Safety District debate held at Setlagole in the Ratlou Local Municipality.
The debate is an annual road safety education programme implemented by the Department of Community Safety and Transport Management. Overall Provincial winner represents the Province at the National debate.
The target is the Grade 10 and 11 learners who focuses on road safety as part of ensuring they internalise road safety to become better future road users.
This is according to the Deputy Director from Road Safety Management, Ms Valencia Jonathan.
“The project implemented in all nine provinces across the country seeks to ensure that sense of road safety becomes part of future generations. This encourages young minds to thoroughly research road safety issues, critically analyse challenges and propose practical solutions through structured debates on various road safety motions,” says Ms Jonathan.
The significance of the project is to curb amongst others, high pedestrian mortality.
“Pedestrian fatalities constitutes 40 percent of road fatalities nationally. Though North West Province recorded a slight decline in Easter 2026, contributing factor remain pedestrian fatalities resulting from collisions and hit-and- runs,” emphasised Ms Jonathan.
The theme is premise on the motion that lack of proper spatial planning is responsible for the high rate of pedestrian fatalities in South Africa.
The debate challenges learners to think beyond rules, how infrastructure, town planning and transport policy affects their day-to-day life.
The schools that participated for the Ngaka Modiri Molema District were, Mmabatho High, Zeerust Hoer Skool, SG Phoi Secondary from Setlagole, Kopanelo Secondary and Geysdorp Secondary schools.
The event forms part of road safety education and awareness programme aimed at empowering youth to engage with public policy formulation.
Mmabatho High School won the day with Kopanelo Secondary School and Hoerskool Zeerust obtaining second and third positions respectively.
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