‘Dont Rage too hard’ - MEC tells matrics

Matric students at the Rage festival in Ballito. Picture: Sandile Makhoba

Matric students at the Rage festival in Ballito. Picture: Sandile Makhoba

Published Dec 1, 2022

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Cape Town - The Western Cape Education Department has urged matric pupils to celebrate safely and responsibly during Rage events which will kick off this weekend.

The National Senior Certificate (NSC) exams are expected to end on December 7 and two large matric Rage events will take place in Plettenberg Bay and Ballito this weekend and next week.

Education MEC David Maynier said while the level of risk in terms of the pandemic was lower, this does not mean that pupils should let their guard down completely.

“It’s understandable that the Class of 2022 would like to let their hair down and celebrate the end of a difficult few years at school, but we urge them to do so responsibly and in moderation, especially in terms of alcohol consumption.

“We are pleased that large gatherings can now take place again, as tourism is a major contributor to our provincial economy, and coming together is an important part of growing up and acknowledging the next stage in our candidates’ lives. For the past two years, the focus has been on the risk of Covid-19 super-spreader events, after large clusters of cases occurred during such events in 2020 and 2021,” said Maynier.

He also appealed to parents to make sure that their children understand the risks associated with large social events and emphasised the need to behave responsibly so that everyone can enjoy themselves in a safe and respectful manner.

“We do not want to have our candidates’ end-of-year holidays spoiled by becoming targets of crime or being involved in a serious accident.”

Cape Times