Mpumalanga Province has emerged victorious at the 2025 National Road Safety Debates and Participatory Educational Techniques (PET) competitions, with the announcement made during a prize-giving ceremony held at Time Square in Pretoria on Friday, 10 October 2025.

The province claimed the top spot in the rural category of the Road Safety Debates and tied with Limpopo in the urban category. Mpumalanga further dominated the PET competitions, winning both the rural and urban categories.

Learners who excelled in each category received medals, trophies and a cheque worth R6 600. Among the top achievers was Sasha Nkabinde, a Grade 11 learner from Jerusalem Secondary School in Hazyview, who won Best Speaker in the Urban Debate category.

All four trainers from the winning categories also walked away with Best Trainer awards, receiving medals and trophies in recognition of their efforts.

The PET competitions awarded R100 000 each to Sikhwahlane Secondary School (urban category) and Skhila Secondary School (rural category) to implement road safety initiatives in their communities.

The national competitions, which target Grade 10 and 11 learners, encourage young people to research road safety challenges and propose solutions while developing public speaking and research skills.

Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) Interim CEO, Ms Refilwe Mongale, said the programme impacts over 1 000 learners nationwide. “Learners not only gain knowledge on road safety but also acquire valuable skills such as research and public speaking,” she explained.

Mpumalanga MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Mr Jackie Macie, praised the learners, trainers, and officials for their outstanding performance. “These competitions are not just about winning. They are about creating a culture of road safety and preventing unnecessary loss of life,” he said.

Macie called on all participants to serve as road safety ambassadors in their communities.

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