Provincial Community Safety Debates turn The Ranch Hotel into a think tank
POLOKWANE – On Saturday, 15 August 2026, the ballroom at The Ranch Hotel in Polokwane felt less like a competition venue and more like a parliament of young minds. Learners from all five districts of Limpopo gathered for the 2026 Provincial Community Safety Debates, and for one night the province’s safety challenges were handed over to the people who will inherit them.
The purpose, as outlined by the HOD, was simple but deliberate: to give learners a meaningful platform to contribute their ideas, perspectives and solutions to strengthening community safety. Not through policy documents, but through voice.
That message was driven home by Deputy Minister for Police, Dr. Polly Boshielo, who opened her address by shifting the spotlight off the podium.
> “Tonight belongs to our learners. It belongs to the young people who have been given an opportunity to look at the safety challenges confronting our communities through their own eyes and to tell us what they believe can be done differently,” Dr. Boshielo said.
She spoke of children walking to school without fear, families feeling safe in their homes, and public infrastructure protected from vandalism. More than that, she framed the debates as something bigger than a contest.
> “Let this not be viewed merely as a competition to determine which team debates better. Let it be viewed as a community safety think tank led by our young people. A platform where ideas are exchanged, assumptions are challenged and solutions emerge.”
Her challenge to government and stakeholders was direct: listen, learn, and have the courage to act when learners offer better ways.
The MEC Mathye echoed the call for shared responsibility in her keynote. Community safety, she said, cannot rest with government and law enforcement alone. It requires families, schools, businesses, civil society, and young people themselves. She urged learners to question what works, what doesn’t, and what should change.
> “Some of the solutions we are looking for may very well emerge from the ideas expressed in this debate today,” she told the hall. “It was not my day. It was the day for the debaters.”
And the debaters did not hold back. Across rounds they tackled cyberbullying, GBV, child abuse and human trafficking, proposing solutions drawn from their own communities. The adjudicators noted a strong grasp of issues and clear logical structure, but also flagged gaps. Many arguments lacked full research data, and few learners engaged effectively with Points of Information. They were urged to return to their schools and sharpen voice projection, confidence and audience engagement. The closing message to them was one of persistence: use the feedback, keep questioning, and be the change.
The night ended with results that reflected both talent and effort across the province. Waterberg and Vhembe dominated the top spots, while special schools also had their champions recognized.
2026 FINAL RESULTS
Mainstream Schools
1. MDLAKAZE MIKA – 291 | Waterberg District – Mabalane Seleka Technical High School (Best Speaker)
2. KHAKHU FUNANANI – 273 | Vhembe District – Thengwe Secondary School
3. MATHONSI RISIMA – 264 | Vhembe District – E.P. Mhinga Secondary School
4. SETHAKGWE OFENTSE – 260 | Capricorn District – Kgakoa Secondary School
5. NENZHELELE ORIFUNA – 218 | Vhembe District – Thengwe Secondary School
6. KHAAS RONALD – 182 | Waterberg District – Mabalane Seleka Technical High School
Special Schools
1. LETAGO KGOETE | Capricorn District – Setotolwane Special School
2. PHATHUTSHEDZO PHEPHO | Vhembe District – Rivoni School for the Blind
3. PHINDULO DOBORO | Vhembe District – Rivoni School for the Blind
Held during Women’s Month, at a time when GBV rates continue to rise, the debates offered a counter-narrative. Young people were not waiting to be consulted later. They were speaking now, and asking to be taken seriously.
As Dr. Boshielo put it: “Tonight belongs to our learners. Let us listen to them.”
From The Ranch, the message to Limpopo was clear. The blueprint for safer communities may already be sitting in a classroom.