Pan African Universities Debating Championship
Established | 2008 |
---|---|
Region | Africa |
Format | British Parliamentary Style |
Number of Teams | ~80-150 |
Record participation | ~145 teams (2012) |
Current champions | University of Cape Town & Kyambogo University |
Most championships | KNUST (4), University of the Witwatersrand (3), University of Cape Town (3), Rhodes University (2) |
Pan-African Universities Debating Championship (PAUDC) is the biggest intercollegiate debate championship in Africa, established in 2008 by the University of Botswana Debate Masters Association. PAUDC is held in the British Parliamentary debate format (involving four teams of two people in each debate).[1][2][3]
The 2021 edition of the PAUDC was the 2nd edition to be held virtually as a result of travel restrictions and other issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual tournament was hosted by the University of Botswana Debate Masters Association in Botswana under the theme, “Channeling the roots of African Debate.”[4][5][6]
The current PAUDC champions are Menzimuhle Ncube and Providence Nhongo of University of Cape Town, South Africa which was hosted by Kyambogo University and dubbed PAUDC KAMPALA.
The 2025 Edition and the 17th Edition of this tournament, will be hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa at the University of the Witwatersrand[7] and has been slated for the 1st - 8th of December 2025.
History
[edit]The OSI African Regional Office and the Youth Initiative partnered with the Pan-African Universities Debating Championship (PAUDC) organizing committee and the University of Botswana to organize the first-ever Pan African Universities Debating Championship in 2008 to provide students from various African universities the opportunity to interrogate issues of African and Global importance.[8][9]
Format
[edit]The championship is usually held in eight days. It usually takes place in the first two weeks of December and is being hosted in a different country every year
The PAUDC structure is the British Parliamentary (BP), made up of four teams of two, with two teams supporting a motion, and two teams opposing. Debating teams are independent and compete with each other.
The competition involves nine preliminary rounds, which become "power-paired" as the tournament progresses, matching the strongest-performing teams against each other. The process of scoring and pairing these teams is known as "tabbing". The scoring of teams is done by judges, most of whom are students or former students from the competing institutions, who then return "ballots" with their scores to the adjudication team, led by a Chief Adjudicator who is assisted by one or more deputies.
At the end of the debate, teams are ranked from 1st to 4th.
The team names are as follows. Opening Government (OG), consisting of the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister; Opening Opposition (OO), consisting of the Opposition Leader and Deputy Opposition Leader; Closing Government (CG), consisting of the Government Member and Government Whip; and Closing Opposition (CO), consisting of the Opposition Member and the Opposition Whip.
The speaking order is Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Opposition Leader, and so forth.[10]
List of tournaments
[edit]Year | Host City | Hosting Institution | Winning Institution | Final Motion | Best Speaker | Winning team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8-14 December 2008 | Botswana, Gaborone | University of Botswana | Won by the University of the Free State, South Africa | |||
12-18 December 2009 | Botswana, Gaborone | University of Botswana | Won by Rhodes University, South Africa[11] | GF: THW abolish all limits on immigration.[12] | ||
4-11 December 2010 | Namibia, Windhoek | University of Namibia | Won by University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |||
4-11 December 2011 | Zimbabwe, Bulawayo | Falcon College | Won by the University of Pretoria, South Africa | THW have the African Union take over all peacekeeping duties in Africa | ||
9-15 December 2012 | South Africa, Pretoria | Tshwane University of Technology | Won by the University of Cape Town, South Africa | Mighti Jamie [13] | ||
November 29- December 8, 2013 | Nigeria, Calabar[14] | University of Calabar | Won by the University of Cape Town, South Africa | |||
4-12 December 2014 | South Africa, Polokwane | University of Limpopo[15][16] | Won by the University of Botswana, Botswana | INFO SLIDE[17]
THR Kim Kardashian's recent photoshoot. | ||
8-17 December 2015 | Ghana, Accra | University of Ghana[18][19][20] | Won by University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | Mighti Jamie [21] | ||
9-17 December 2016 | Zimbabwe, Gweru | Midlands State University | Won by University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg | |||
7-15 December 2017 | Cameroon, Buea | University of Buea | Won by Midlands State University, Zimbabwe[22] | Minenhle Nzana | ||
8-16 December 2018 | Tanzania, Dars es Salaam | University of Dars es Salaam | Won by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)[24] | |||
8-16 December 2019 | Ghana. Kumasi[25] | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology | Won by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)[26][27] | Adekunbi Ademola [28] | Micheal Ampah and Erasmus Mawuli Segbefia | |
14-20 December 2020 | Virtual | Makerere University and Royal Rhetorics | Won by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)[29] | This House Believes That judicial systems should more harshly punish people found guilty of committing crimes against members of social groups who experience disproportionately high rates of violence regardless of that offender’s intent (i.e. women, ethnic minorities) | lindokuhle Mabaso and Dan Lee | Kojo Opoku Acheampong and Abena Achiaa Otuo |
09-12 December 2021 | Virtual | University of Botswana | Won by Rhodes University (South Africa) | THW, as the African Union, Grant members of the 6th Region economic and Political Rights | Sodiq Farhan | Franciscus Crouse and Oyisa Katshaza |
08-15 December 2022 | Nairobi | Strathmore University | Won by Veritas University (Nigeria) | THBT that the AU should recognise the statehood of Somaliland | Elisha Owusu Akyaw | Ayafa Tonye, Edwin Ochiedo |
03-11 December 2023 | Lome | Universite de Lome | Won by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) | Champagne socialism refers to a form of socialism where a group of rich/upper class individuals advocate for a fair society where everyone has equal rights and the rich people help the poor.
THW promote champagne socialism in Africa |
Prosper-Michael Ametu and Umuhairu Teni Alhassan | Prosper-Michael Ametu and Umuhairu Teni Alhassan |
15-22 December 2024[30] | Kampala | Kyambogo University | Winners, Debate: University of Cape Town, Public Speech: Kyambogo University | THR the decline of Ubuntu in African Communities. | Debate: Michelle Adika & Alec Becky, PS: Onyait Churchill. | Menzimuhle Ncube & Providence Nhongo. |
1-8 December 2025[31] | Johannesburg | University of Witwatersrand | To be determined | To be determined. | To be determined. | To be determined. |
December 2026[32] | Abuja | Veritas University | To be determined | To be determined. | To be determined. | To be determined. |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "University of Ghana Debate Society to Participate in the 11th Pan African Universities Debate Championship | UG Sports Directorate". www.ug.edu.gh. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "KNUST Looks For Second Straight Win When They Host PAUDC 2019 | Campus Informer". www.campusinformer.org. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "KNUST wins Pan-African Universities Debate Championship for second time". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "PAUDC2020 Live: KNUST aims at winning a 3rd consecutive championship as they become the only Ghanaian university to qualify for grande finale". Focus Fm KNUST. 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- ^ "UCC qualifies for the next stage of the ongoing PAUDC-2020". Hypercitigh.com. 2020-12-19. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
- ^ "Botswana to host 2020 PAUDC". Focus Fm. 2020-04-03. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61570584490817
- ^ "Inaugural Pan-African Universities Debating Championship". www.opensocietyfoundations.org. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ Osei, Jennifer (2020-01-01). "History of Pan African Universities Debate Championship". Inter News Network. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "KNUST becomes first in West Africa to win 'Pan African Universities Debate' contest". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ editor, Online (10 January 2010). "Rhodes University wins 2009 PAUDC debate champions | Sunday Standard". Retrieved 2020-01-19.
{{cite web}}
:|last=
has generic name (help) - ^ "EUDC 2009 Newcastle motions | Debate topics Headquarters". Debate Motions Headquarters. 2013-02-13. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
- ^ "Latest Breaking News news, breaking stories and comment".
- ^ "Tabroom.com". www.tabroom.com. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ uldebatingsociety (2014-03-31). "PAUDC 2014 aka Kgorong 2.0 (Hosted by The University of Limpopo)". uldebatesociety. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ Snider, Alfred Charles (2015-01-11). "Debate Motion Central: Pan African Universities Debating Championship 2014". Debate Motion Central. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "Pan Africans Debating Championship 2014 motions". Focus Fm. 2015-01-04. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
- ^ "UG Hosts 8th Pan-African Universities Debate Championship | University of Ghana". www.ug.edu.gh. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "University of Ghana to host the 8th Pan-African Universities Debate Championship - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "LEGON 2015: Plans so far". apps.ug.edu.gh. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "Latest Breaking News news, breaking stories and comment".
- ^ "Breaking News: MSU Crowned 2017 Pan-African Universities Debate Championship (PAUDC) Champions". Midlands State University. 2017-12-15. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "Pan African Universities Debating Championship - Wikipedia".
- ^ "KNUST becomes first in West Africa to win 'Pan African Universities Debate' contest". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ says, Hans Junior. "KNUST launches 2019 Pan-African Universities Debate Championship – Radio Univers 105.7FM". Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "KNUST Wins Pan African Universities Debate Championship 2nd time". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2020-01-19.
- ^ "KNUST Debate Team presents Pan African Universities Debate Championship award to the VC, Prof. Kwasi Obiri Danso". 2019-03-02. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
- ^ "PAUDC 2019 | Speaker Tab".
- ^ "KNUST Wins 2020 Pan-African Universities Debate Championship". Hypercitigh.com. 2020-12-20. Retrieved 2020-12-21.
- ^ https://www.olympiadebate.org/
- ^ https://www.olympiadebate.org/
- ^ https://www.olympiadebate.org/