The Eastern Cape Liquor Board (ECLB) conducted an anti-pens-down campaign at Holy Cross Senior Secondary School in Mthatha recently, with the aim of discouraging a seemingly growing culture among learners of organising parties to celebrate the end of examinations.
The learners who attended this campaign came from Holy Cross Senior Secondary School, St Johns College, Khanyisa Senior Secondary School and Mthatha International High School.
According to the spokesperson for the ECLB, Mgwebi Msiya, the campaign was launched in Buffalo City and later rolled out among schools in Gqeberha.
“The planned roll-out of the campaign in Mthatha has been triggered by two viral videos that show learners from two schools in a celebratory mood and showing signs of insobriety.
“In one of the videos, police are seen dispersing learners who look intoxicated, and this raised alarm, as learners will soon be finishing examinations and may already be clandestinely planning for the pens-down parties,” said Msiya.
He added that the ECLB has therefore identified the need to urgently intervene by facilitating the pens-down campaign, targeting schools that are located around Mthatha, especially those that have been identified in the videos that went viral on social media.
Msiya said ECLB seeks to prevent events that may potentially have devastating results akin to the Enyobeni Tavern incident in East London, where 21 young people perished during the pens-down celebrations for the end of the mid-year examinations.
He added that even learners from rural areas are facing the same problem. “Some of them have already started organising these parties. The issues of drugs and alcohol are the main issues.”
Msiya confirmed that they would continue with this initiative regularly, whenever learners write exams.
