Hundreds of matric pupils are not willing to give up the chance to attend the annual Matric Rage Festival.
In spite of Covid-19 and pleas from medical experts, pupils from private schools will descend on Umhlanga and Ballito in KZN to begin celebrations to mark the end of the schooling on Friday.
A Durban pupil, who bought his ticket three months ago, said he wasn’t worried about the Covid-19 risk.
“I decided to attend Rage because it’s something that matriculants do every year and I want to party and have fun after my schooling career. I am not concerned about the crowds. I obviously know that it will be a spreader event, but I am just not worried. There is a no valid reason why I am not worried, but I am just not worried.
“I don’t think it will be safe. I think there will be upfront precautions, but once you get in, it will be like any other party. Safety is just a front to allow the parties to carry on,” he said.
Another pupil said she had to convince her parents to attend.
“My parents are very concerned about Covid-19, but I managed to convince them to allow me to attend. I do well in school. I deserve to party with my friends. You can pick up Covid-19 anywhere,” the 17-year-old said.
Annually, tens of thousands of matric revellers descend on Ballito and Umhlanga in Durban, Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape and Plettenberg Bay in the southern Cape to celebrate the end of their schooling.
This year organisers have moved the Plett festival to January 29 because half of the matrics attend government schools and will be finishing their exams on December 15 — in peak holiday season. The majority of pupils attending the Ballito and Umhlanga festivals are from private schools, which finish exams on November 27. That festival will run from then until December 5. The Joburg festival is on December 12 and 13, and the Jeffreys Bay festival is from December 15 to 22.
Greg Walsh, CEO of G&G Productions that puts on the Matric Rage Festivals, said “no stone has been left unturned” to ensure a safe festival.
“Obviously all of our event sites are 100% compliant with the current legislations permitting events under the National State of Disaster Management Act. Outdoor gatherings are each limited to less than 500 and indoor gatherings limited to less than 250 or 50% of the venue capacity size, whichever is the greater. All other protocols concerning social distancing, spacing of tables, removal of dance floors, sanitisation measures and much more have been fully complied with.
“Also, one must remember that Rage Festival does not operate in isolation. It is hosted in collaboration with all stakeholders including police department, Liquor Board, fire department, waste management, medical department, department of health and the responsible city. It takes a team to safely host an event and comply with legislation,” he said.
Organisers were expecting between 50% to 70% of the usual turnout.
“It’s an age-old pilgrimage. Whether an organised festival was hosted or not, little will stand in the way of matrics enjoying their well-deserved break at the end of exams. Covid-19 has certainly limited the number of interested attendees though. The matric exam timetable has caused major disruption, some people have listed comorbidities, and many families have been hit financially by the business lockdown response to Covid-19,” Walsh said.
Umhlanga Urban Improvement Precinct manager Dewet Geldenhuys has been “working closely with the authorities and event organisers to ensure a safe and enjoyable Matric Rage”.
“The Matric Rage Festival takes place in Umhlanga every year, and this year is no different with the event being factored into SAPS and metro’s operational planning for the festive season,” he said.
Geldenhuys does not believe the event will be a Covid-19 superspreader.
“Since public schools will still be open at the time, only matriculants from private schools will be attending this year. This will result in a much reduced turnout of about 1,500 kids and with strict health protocols in place we believe the risk to be low.”
