Matlhodi Leteane (first-year LLB), Lehakoe Masedi (second-year BCom Law) and Letlhogonolo Masilo (third-year BA Governance and Political Transformation).

The idea of an all-women’s debate tournament arose after the South African National Universities Debate Championship of 2014.

The tournament, a first of its kind, was hosted by the Wits Debate Union over the weekend of 12 - 15 September at the University of the Witwatersrand. The participating universities were Wits, University of Fort Hare, University of KwaZulu-Natal, North-West University, Tswane University of Technology, University of Limpopo, University of Botswana and the eventual winners – the University of the Free State.

The UFS Debate Society had a delegation of three ladies consisting of one debating team and an adjudicator. The ladies who debated, were Lehakoe Masedi and Matlhodi Leteane and the adjudicator was Letlhogonolo Masilo. Letlhogonolo, the newly elected president of the UFS Debate Society, formed part of the Chief Adjudication Panel for the tournament. The debating team, after five rounds of debating, managed to break through to the final, and after a hard-fought round, went on to win.

Our Dean of Students, Rudi Buys, provided the ladies with the financial support, while Masechaba Kgampe played chaperone. A special thank you must also be made to Tonderai Chiyindiko, from our Student Affairs’ Arts and Culture Office, who played a massive role in aiding the UFS Debate Society.