Edendale pupil earns Robben Island trip by winning poetry contest

KwaZulu-Natal pupil Sbongakonke Mtolo has earned the opportunity to represent the province at the prestigious 2026 Robben Island Spring School Camp after winning the inaugural Bafo Justice Ntombela Poetry and Public Speaking Contest with a powerful speech encouraging young people to take responsibility for South Africa’s future. Mtolo, a pupil at Siqongweni Secondary School in Edendale, claimed first place in the competition, which was held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) during Youth Month as part of the Old Prison Museum’s Impi YamaKhanda (1906 Poll Tax Resistance) Programme. Her victory secures her a place at the week-long leadership and heritage residency on Robben Island in September, where outstanding pupils from across South Africa will take part in leadership development, heritage education and nation-building programmes.

Mtolo impressed the adjudication panel with a thought-provoking speech that explored some of the country’s pressing social challenges while calling on young people to become active participants in building a better South Africa. Judges commended her presentation for its thorough research, originality, confidence and inspiring message of hope, accountability and civic responsibility. The competition challenged pupils to engage with the theme “1906 – 1976 – 2026”, encouraging them to draw connections between the 1906 Poll Tax Resistance, the 1976 Soweto Uprising and the role of today’s youth in shaping the nation’s future.

Ten schools from across KwaZulu-Natal took part in the inaugural contest, with the high standard of entries prompting adjudicators to increase the number of awards from three to four after a tie for third place. The winners were: first, Sbongakonke Mtolo (Siqongweni Secondary School); second, Sinesipho Nyembezi (Sukuma Comprehensive School); joint third, Mguni Sanele (Ikusaselihle High School) and Minenhle Ngcobo (Fundokuhle High School). Mtolo’s prize also carries deep historical significance.

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Her journey to Robben Island symbolically links two important sites in South Africa’s liberation history. Chief Langalibalele kaMthimkhulu, one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most prominent historical figures, was imprisoned at the Old Prison in Pietermaritzburg before being exiled to Robben Island.

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