This project is in its seventh year and involves learners from 17 schools from communities close to the N1–N4 route. 

Bakwena Platinum Corridor Concessionaire (Pty) Limited (Bakwena)’s flagship project, Drama For Change, once again culminated in two final events, which were held on the 5 and 12 October 2019.  

Bakwena holds a 30-year Concession Contract with the South African National Roads Agency (SOC) Limited (SANRAL) to design, build, finance, operate and maintain 385km of road. 

Drama for Change 

This project is in its seventh year and involves learners from 17 schools from communities close to the N1–N4 route.  

Powerful social messages, sourced from both the learners’ schools and their communities, are performed through drama. 

The first event saw nine schools from Ramotshere Moiloa area taking part in the final event held on 5 October at the Lehurutshe Civic Centre. 

At the second event held on 12 October, eight schools from Madibeng and Kgetleng Rivier performed their plays at Borolelo Community Hall. 

Bakwena partnered with Monde Mayephu from Rare Arts Productions and CapaSity (Pty) Limited, to train “Drama Pioneers” from Dinokana and Bapong in drama and peer education, to enable the learners to develop their dramas around social issues affecting the youth of today in their communities. 

Charmaine van Wyk, Public Relations manager at Bakwena said: “The main objective of the campaign is to encourage the youth to make responsible decisions based on the social challenges and risks they are faced in their day–to–day lives”. 

The drama themes included road safety, domestic violence, child abuse, substance abuse, discrimination (physical disability), homophobia, mob justice, community dissent and femicide. 

Adjudicators were an independent documentary professional, a local artist, two senior drama pioneers and a representative from Department of Health, who judged both events and selected the best performances of the day.  

At the Lehurutshe event, Ramatu won best Overall Performance and Ngotwane was the runner-up, while at the Borolelo event, Johane Mokolobetsi walked off with the winning performance and two schools tied for second position, namely Moedwil and St Teresa. 

Van Wyk said all performances from the learners were on a high level and conveyed powerful social messages.  

She said: “The Drama for Change initiative encourages young people to explore the issues that affect them most in a deeply personal way. Through this project we hope to encourage and assist young people to make affirming decisions in their lives. 

“We thank our partners and all the learners, teachers and Drama Pioneers for their dedication and hard work which was evident in the quality and professionalism of both drama events.”