Basic Education Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, has officially opened the National Rounds of the 11th National Schools Moot Court Programme 2022, which commenced at the University of Pretoria on 6 October 2022. The Programme is a collaboration with the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and the South African Human Rights Commission, and many other partners. The 2022 Problem Statement has been focused on Learner Pregnancy. During the Moot proceedings, more than 36 teams identified from across all nine provinces were taken through the preliminary round meant to identify the best two teams that will proceed to the finals, which will be held at the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg on 9 October 2022. The teams are expected to present oral arguments before the ConCourt Judges, who will announce the 2022 National Schools Moot Court champion.
The Programme was established in 2011 as a Human Rights Education Strategy of the DBE to educate learners about the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. It was also aimed at promoting constitutional values through research and oral arguments presented by learners at various levels of the competition. The finalists will automatically qualify to represent South Africa at the International Schools Moot Court Competition, hosted every two years.
Mrs Malebo Lefoka, Chief Education Specialist for Social Cohesion and Equity in Education, said that the DBE and the University of Pretoria, have succeeded in exposing young people to various aspects of legal practice through the Programme. “The Moot is divided into written and oral rounds. All secondary schools across South Africa have been invited to send teams of two Grade 10 or 11 learners to submit two short essays, each arguing the opposing views of the set fictional question. A panel of experts evaluate the submissions and select the four best submissions from each of South Africa’s nine provinces, which are then invited to the semi-final oral rounds held at the University of Pretoria, with the winners arguing in the final round at the Constitutional Court of South Africa, Johannesburg. Since its inception, the Moot problem statements have been part of the school curriculum to support the mass participation component of the Programme, reaching approximately 2 million learners,” explained Mrs Lefoka.
During her address, Deputy Minister Mhaule stated that the sector remains resolute and committed towards fostering human rights, values and strengthening democracy. “Our curriculum is embedded within the founding principles of human rights, and has the potential of imparting knowledge and advocating for unity, peace and nation building in the teaching and learning process. The 2022 Problem Statement on Learner Pregnancy highlights some of the human rights violations and challenges faced by our learners who find themselves in such situations. It also serves to raise awareness around the right to privacy and confidentiality, freedom of expression, access to education and many more sections of the Bill of Rights. Learner pregnancy is both a complex and complicated matter. In most instances, it reflects the situation of innocent girls who become subjected to sexual violence and the infringement of their rights. We chose this theme because of its universal nature as it affects children from all walks of life.”
The Deputy Minister further encouraged participants to be ambassadors of human rights in their respective communities. “I implore you to count yourselves as the heroes and heroines of today and the future. You have embarked on a journey that touches many lives and brings hope. I urge you to continue promoting peace, unity and nation building within our communities. Let us all treasure our democracy and unity and consciously choose not to participate in hateful comments, discriminatory and violent actions that sometimes disrupt and divide our family systems and communities. Dr Mhaule expressed her gratitude with a special mention of the National and Provincial Coordinators from the three institutions and organisers who gave so much of themselves to ensure the success of the event.