Sadtu says 'it's shocking' pupils got no food, lodgings at athletics event

The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) in Limpopo has expressed outrage over the “shocking” treatment of pupils from the province during the 2025 National Schools Sports Championships (NSSC) Autumn Games in Bloemfontein.

The event, held from April 2-7, was jointly managed by the departments of sport, arts and culture, and the basic education department.

The union claimed pupils from Limpopo were not provided with meals or refreshments after travelling from Limpopo to the Free State. They said accommodation was also not provided, forcing pupils to sleep in buses while exposed to harsh weather.

“Adding insult to injury, as a last-minute measure, the learners were eventually booked accommodation in Kimberley, Northern Cape, more than 160km away,” secretary Sowell Tjebane said. “Consequently, the team had to be withdrawn from the games.”

Tjebane condemned the treatment, saying it was not an isolated incident and demanded action against those responsible.

“In a previous instance, the team was withdrawn from the games in Mbombela in Mpumalanga because, upon arrival, they found that no accommodation had been arranged and they had to sleep in buses. In another instance, primary school learners were given oversized attire. It is no wonder that none of them won under such deplorable conditions.

“Incompetence at any level must never be tolerated. The union expects consequence management to be implemented swiftly to stop this rot from festering further and putting the lives of teachers and learners in danger.

“We demand that the department of education investigate these matters to root out this barbaric behaviour. If the department fails to address these challenges, the union is left with no choice but to exercise our rights on this matter. Our members must remain combat-ready for a clarion call to be issued soon.”

Sport, arts and culture minister Gayton McKenzie acknowledged the pupils' mistreatment and promised to provide answers.

“It's sadly true that learners were not given food. I’m absolutely livid,” McKenzie said on X. “I will have answers. Provisions for meals and accommodation is standard at these events. We will make public the amount that was given for food and accommodation.”

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