Birchleigh learners earn national recognition in RTMC road safety project

Five Hoërskool Birchleigh learners have put Kempton Park on the national stage after securing third place at the 2026 National Road Safety Participatory Educational Techniques (PET) and Debate Project.

Hosted by the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), the competition took place from September 27 to October 2 at the Protea Hotel.

The team, comprising Nkazimulo Mbatha, Emmanuel Tafadzwa Menze, Kuhumelela Glad Tsumele, Junior Puwai and Hlomla Liyabona Pupuma, represented Gauteng.

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Their PET presentation took place on September 29 and focused on road safety challenges around Elgin Bridge, proposing solutions to improve safety for road users.

According to team captain Mbatha, the school had previously won the sub-district competition in 2025. However, Gauteng could not continue participating at the time because of funding constraints.

This year, the provincial representative approached a Hoërskool Birchleigh teacher shortly before the national finals to ask whether the school would be willing to represent Gauteng. The team accepted the opportunity.

“We had to present on a local road safety issue. We chose the Elgin Bridge, compiled a file of problems and solutions, turned it into a slideshow and presented it to the judges. Most teams presented like debaters. We built ours around a storyline, which made it creative and memorable,” said Mbatha.

The project challenges learners to identify real road safety problems in their communities and develop practical solutions. It also aims to build road safety awareness by encouraging learners to become ambassadors who educate others.

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Although Hoërskool Birchleigh is based in an urban area, the team competed in the rural PET category, adding another challenge.
Seven provinces took part in the competition, with the Birchleigh team ultimately securing third place nationally.

Mbatha said the learners had only about two weeks to prepare, while some competing teams had been working on their presentations since April.

The preparation period also coincided with their preliminary examinations as Grade 12 learners.

“We only learnt we would compete about two weeks before the finals, while other teams had prepared since April. We also had our preliminary exams as Grade 12 learners. Mr Milazi, Miss Pitout and Portia supported and coached us,” he said.

Each team member received a cash prize, trophy and medal for the achievement.

The school expressed pride in the learners, who demonstrated that even with limited preparation time, Kempton Park learners could compete successfully at national leve