MASERU – Local secondary school pupils, Keketso Posholi, Naleli Tsoamotse and Seipati Letuka were hailed Lesotho champions after they scooped top positions at a regional competition.

Their victory was announced in Maseru on Monday at a prize giving ceremony of the SADC Secondary Schools Essay Writing Competition.

Learners from Morifi High School in Mohale’s Hoek, Posholi and Tsoamotse scooped first and second positions respectively while Letuka of St James High School in Mokhotlong appeared on third place. In his speech at the event the Minister of Education, Mokoto Hloaele, emphasised the need for the country to invest in youth education.

“The future lies in the hands of our youth, and by investing in the youth; nurturing their God-given talents and mentoring them, we are paving the way to a brighter and better Lesotho, and there is no better way of doing that other than through education,” he said.

He applauded the winners for their excellent performance, adding that deserved special recognition for raising the national flag high.

“These learners, ladies and gentlemen, are our stars today as they have represented our country so well at both the SADC and international levels,” Mr Hloaele said.

The SADC secondary school essay writing competition is aimed at broadening knowledge of secondary school-going population on SADC activities and encouraging learners in the SADC region to understand the role of SADC and disseminate information on SADC in order to support the process of regional cooperation and integration. SADC achieves this by organising annual essay writing competitions.