12 Aug 2015

Debaing teams and public speaking enthusiasts across the Southern African Development Community (SADC) gathered at the University of Botswana for the second annual SADC Debate Open.

The second annual SADC debate open has brought together debating teams from universities in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho South Africa and Botswana to debate various issues and spread awareness amongst the youth regarding SADC and its perceived contribution to regional integration. 

The tournament director, Ms Glenn Farred said the SADC debating tournament and speaking conference were hosted by the Southern African Development Community Council of Non-Government Organisations (SADC-CNGO) under the ‘SADC WE WANT CAMPAIGN’ in partnership with GIZ Promotion of Economic Integration and Trade (Prospect) Programme.

“In 2014 GIZ ProSPECT hosted in collaboration with SADC-CNGO the first SADC open debating championships which opened a door to regional integration debates in the region, we have decided to support the event again in 2015. 

The finals of the 2015 debate tournament will be held during a high level dinner at the opening of the 11^th SADC Civil Society Forum, in attendance will be former heads of states and high level officials, she said.

The organisers have said that most of the topics that were debated at the event were all related to regional integration.

“The various thematic areas include among others economic issues such as trade, open borders for services, movement of people citing freedom to travel and/or to work, good governance issues such as free and fair elections, cooperation between governments and people of the region” she revealed. ENDS