Springs Boys High debate team secures spot at nationals

The Citizen

12-07-2025

Springs Boys High School's debate team is a force to be reckoned with. The junior and senior teams participated in the National Debate League, featuring 19 senior schools in Johannesburg east, during the second term.
The senior team secured first place, while the junior team secured third, meaning they will compete in Durban from October 6 to 8.
Despite their competitive spirit and drive to win every debate, the team wasn't discouraged by losses. Instead, they treated each one as a chance to learn and improve.
'We lost a debate recently, and it was memorable not because we lost but rather how we lost. I found it amazing how our opponents presented themselves in front of the adjudicators.
'They laid a foundation that flipped the table on us and made us lose from the beginning. It was memorable and trying,' the senior team's captain, Carlton Maburuse, said.
He joined the team in Grade Eight, expressing a fascination with how lawyers presented their cases in court.
'Someone I admired who used to debate at our school encouraged me to pursue debating, and I haven't looked back since,' Maburuse said.
He said debating had improved his public speaking and allowed him to speak as fast as he thinks.
'It opened my eyes to how much pressure there is in leadership, and also how rewarding it is.'
The ability to be objective is crucial in debating. Maburuse said a debater might find themselves arguing against something they wholeheartedly believe.
'The key is to view things from different perspectives. If you allow your emotions to control you, you will lose points and contradict yourself.'
This publication also spoke to Maria dos Santos, the junior team's coach, former learner and coach Salifya Nyirenda and co-ordinator Liezel van der Nesd. Van der Nesd said the key factor behind a successful debate team is the learners' willingness.
'There were lots of last-minute debates the learners jumped into and were willing to be a part of without any complaints.'
Dos Santos and Nyirenda shared the same sentiments, with Dos Santos saying their learners had a passion for it and wanted to improve and help themselves.
Van der Nesd shared some words of advice for schools that might want to begin or improve their debate teams.
'Just start. When I got here, we had three debaters, and now we have 40. Grab every learning opportunity. Most debate teams have some form of training, so make sure you're learning,' she said.
Dos Santos added that establishing a debate team is beneficial for learners' development.
'Not only do learners gain the ability to speak well or disagree with someone in a civilised manner, they also improve their writing skills because they have to write their argument and do extensive research,' she said.
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