Primary and high school learners from schools across the area battled over tricky words at the Khula LGT annual Spelling Bee at the Multipurpose Centre in Cosmo City.

Blairgowrie Primary School’s Midzuno Mathonsi took the top spot in the primary school category, after previously winning the Blairgowrie Spelling Bee to earn her place at the Khula competition.

Her mother, Ntiyiso Mathonsi, said the day had been a rollercoaster of emotions. “Coming here was mixed feelings. I was both excited and nervous because we had prepared. We went beyond the scope of what we were given, so we really prepared thoroughly. But you never know with spelling bees, man. You never know what you’ll come across.”

Read more: Blairgowrie Primary learners shine at spelling bee

She said the wait for the results felt endless. “The MC kept us in suspense for quite a long time. It would just keep on dragging and dragging and dragging. But when they finally announced her name, I was over the moon. I was so happy. I was so grateful that it finally happened. Her dream came true, actually. She had a dream of herself winning, so it actually came true.”

Midzuno herself said the second round and the tiebreaker were the toughest parts of the competition, but her preparation carried her through. Asked how she managed to win again, she kept her answer simple: “I practised a lot.”

Also read: Khula LGT organisation hosts spelling bee competition

In the high school category, Nelly Seanego of Matla Combined School also walked away with a trophy. She said it was her first time competing at a Khula event and the win came as a surprise. “Oh my goodness, I’m excited. It is literally the first time coming to Khula. And to actually go home with a trophy, I did not expect that. But all is well.”

Seanego said the road to Cosmo City had been demanding, with qualifying rounds stacked close together. “We were under so much pressure. Literally last week we came from the district-level spelling bee. The week before last we went to the second level. So we had so much pressure because we had to sit every day. I also have my pressure, but we’ve got this.”

Reflecting on her win, she said she had kept things low-key rather than burying herself in extra study material. “To be honest, don’t judge, because I haven’t been doing anything. I just went as they told us two weeks ago. I was like, okay, it’s a spelling bee. I didn’t even take it seriously until the day came and I saw it. I was surprised.”

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