STELLALANDER-VRYBURG: The Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District recently hosted the provincial rounds of the Heritage Education School Outreach Programme (HESOP) in Vryburg under the Naledi Local Municipality.
The two-day event, held from Friday, 15 August to Saturday, 16 August 2025, brought together eight schools from across the North West’s four districts.
Learners from Vryburg High School, New Vision Secondary, Molebatsi Secondary, Phirisi Secondary, JM Ntsime High School, Sol Plaatje Secondary, Refentse Secondary, and Tiger Kloof Secondary delivered insightful and detailed presentations that reflected a deep understanding of cultural heritage. HESOP is an initiative aimed at educating young people about their heritage while empowering them to serve as custodians of history and culture. Teams of four learners from each school explored a wide range of topics, including heritage as a strategic resource, the promotion of previously marginalised African languages, the digitisation of heritage, the role of mother tongue education, and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the heritage sector. Participation in the programme is open to learners in Grades 8 to 11 from public schools. Provincial coordinator Tshwanelo Mphiwe announced that Molebatsi Secondary School, representing Bojanala District, secured first place and will advance to the national rounds, scheduled to take place at the Skukuza Rest Camp in Mpumalanga from 6–10 October 2025. The competition results were as follows: first place: Molebatsi Secondary School (Bojanala District), second place: New Vision Secondary School (Dr Kenneth Kaunda District) and third place: Vryburg High School (Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati District). The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, together with participating schools, hailed the programme as a vital platform for instilling pride, cultural awareness, and leadership among young people.
