After nearly a decade-long drought for the region, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School proudly celebrates a historic milestone as Iminathi Bacela, a standout learner from our school, has been officially selected for the South African National Debating Team. She will represent the nation at the upcoming World Schools’ Debating Championships in Nairobi, Kenya, marking the first time in almost ten years that a speaker from Pietermaritzburg and KwaZulu-Natal has been selected for the prestigious five-person national squad.

A Journey of Resilience
Iminathi’s path to wear the green and gold was anything but straightforward. Reflecting on her journey from a Grade 8 debater to the global stage, she describes a road marked by both heartbreak and grit. After failing to make the national cut in her earlier years and facing moments of doubt, she refused to give up. “I had a dream, and that was to wear the Protea emblem near my chest and to represent my country at the highest level of debating in the world,” Iminathi shared in her address to staff and her peers at the school assembly. “Out of the hundreds of learners that make it to Nationals, only five get to go to Worlds. I worked tirelessly, educating myself on things I
didn’t necessarily like, sports and economics, while nurturing my love for feminism and identity politics.”

Shifting Global Paradigms
For Iminathi, debating is more than an academic exercise; it is a platform for advocacy. During recent sessions against international teams, she was struck by the persistent and outdated perceptions of Africa as a continent lacking in capacity. “As the youth, we have the responsibility to continue to champion Africa, to show its talent and the beauty that exists intellectually,” she shared. Inspired by her coach’s reminder that the national blazer “belongs to the people of South Africa,” Iminathi sees her role and the opportunity of a global platform to change these perceptions.

A Community Success
Iminathi credits her success to the support she has received from her family, especially her mother, and the GHS staff and learners. As she prepares to compete against the best minds in the world, she left her peers with a powerful message: “Remain curious, shift the narratives that exist around our nation… fight to create a name that not only reaches milestones, but transcends borders.” We wish Iminathi the best of luck as she takes the global stage to represent the talent, intellect, and spirit of South Africa.