GRADE 11 pupil Kimberly Mashaireni, from Rhodesfield Technical High School (THS), is flying the debate flag high for her school.
She’s a poet, a singer, a pianist, and is also learning to play the guitar, but, above all, she’s an outstanding speaker.
Her ability to speak and debate has opened many doors for her and has seen her taking to stages all over the country and world.
Mashaireni is currently a member of the school’s senior debate team, which took first place in the 2016 Eastern South African Council for English Education (SACEE) Championships and is the reigning Eastern SACEE Champions for 2016.
This year, from July 6 to 12, she also travelled to Thailand to take part in the Third World Schools Debating Championships 2016, representing the South African senior team.
The shy 16-year-old says she loves intellectual activities.
“I’m a completely different person when I’m on stage; I love to argue, I find it allows you to look at things from a different perspective, because it allows you to see the world from a different angle,” she said.
”You don’t get to choose which topic you are going to defend.”
Mashaireni’s love for debate started in Grade Eight, while she was watching a very talented pupil in action.
That same year she joined Rhodesfield THH’s junior team, who came fourth at the SACCE Provincial Championships, and she ranked eighth in the top 10 provincial junior speakers.
In 2014, while she was in Grade Nine, the school team made it through to the Gauteng Schools Debating Board Championships, where Mashaireni was ranked fifth of the top 10 Gauteng junior speakers, and was chosen for trials.
She made it into the Gauteng Provincial Junior Team, who took part in the South African National Schools Debating Championships that same year.
Her team was crowned the 2014 National School Debating Champions and she was ranked third in the top 10 national junior speakers, going on to be selected for the National Team Trials, making it into the SA Junior Team for 2015.
Mashaireni is an aspiring lawyer and is considering enrolling at Wits University.
“If there was an actual career in debating I would opt for it, but law is the closest career I could find,” she said.
She has two younger sisters and very supportive parents.
In 2015, in Grade 10, the sweet 16-year-old did well in her school’s senior team, which placed second at the Gauteng Debate League Provincial Championships, where she was also ranked fifth in the top provincial senior speakers.
“I went to Romania for the International Schools Debate Championships, with the SA Junior Team, and was ranked sixth in the top 10 international junior speakers,” she added.
She was then selected for the Gauteng team trials, and made it into the Gauteng Provincial Senior Team, where she was ranked fifth in the top 10 national senior speakers.
Mashaireni then went through to the SA senior team trials and was selected for the SA team 2016.
“Debate is not for everyone; if it’s your passion you’ll enjoy it,” she said.
”There are a lot of challenges, like meeting people who you think speak a 100 times better than you do, and who come from posh schools with private tutors.
”But, like me, if you love what you do then you will succeed.”
