Some Stellenbosch schools were able to proceed with their matric balls following a gradual relaxation of Covid-19 lockdown regulations.
The announcement of lockdown alert level 1 on 1 October saw the maximum number of people allowed indoors raised to 750, according to a government press release from 30 September. Previously, under adjusted level 2 lockdown, the maximum number of people allowed indoors was 250, according to a press release from 12 September.
All the matric balls were in the week of 27 September. Paul Roos Gymnasium hosted their matric event on 30 September and Stellenbosch High School and Rhenish Girls’ High School’s matric ball was on 1 October and Rhenish [Girls’ High School], said Anna-Mareè Uys, owner of Sew Elegant, a local couturier that makes matric ball gowns.
Adnan Ali Shad, manager of Tux Tailor in Stellenbosch, told MatieMedia that while he is glad that the demand for matric suits and dresses has picked up, he still gets fewer clients than before Covid-19, because parents were unsure of how lockdown regulations will be adjusted.
“That’s why they are a bit scared to make a suit and a dress and all that stuff,” said Shad.
At the beginning of the pandemic, Tux Tailor in Eikestad Mall mostly made and altered masks, because there were no matric balls to cater for, according to Adnan Ali Shad, manager of Tux Tailor. PHOTO: Carla Visagie
Matching masks and parties in parking lots
Matric learners have missed out on a lot in the past two years, and having a matric ball brings back some sense of normality, according to Renette Stofberg, a teacher at Paul Roos who was involved with organising the school’s matric ball on 30 September.
However, this year’s matric dances were executed differently to those that took place before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It has become standard for us to include a matching mask [with the matric ball gown],” said Uys, who was also involved with organising Bloemhof Girls’ High School’s matric function on 29 September, as she has a grade 11 daughter at the school.
Both Sew Elegant, a local couturier that makes matric ball gowns, and Tux Tailor in Eikestad Mall, currently get a lot of requests for masks that match dresses. This was according to Anna-Mareè Uys, owner of Sew Elegant, and Adnan Ali Shad, manager of Tux Tailor. PHOTO: Carla Visagie
To limit the number of people indoors, Bloemhof’s 143 matric learners were not allowed to take partners to the matric ball, according to Uys.
Despite not being able to take partners to the ball, it was still an enjoyable experience, according to Danika Singleton, a grade 12 student that went to Bloemhof Girls’ High School’s function.
“I really enjoyed spending the evening with only my grade group. The only thing that was bad, is that the evening was too short because of the curfew,” said Singleton.
While the recent matric farewell at Bloemhof Girls’ High School was not exactly the same as those before the Covid-19 pandemic, parents at the school put a lot of effort into decorating the hall and making the event special for the grade 12s. This was according to Anne-Mareè Uys, who was involved in organising Bloemhof Girls’ High School’s matric function, as she has a grade 11 daughter at the school. PHOTO: Carla Visagie
The matric event at Cloetesville High School, which took place on 28 September, also restricted attendance to students from the school in order to remain within the capacity at the venue, according to Dorian Meyer, the principal of Cloetesville High School.
“We could only accommodate 50% of the venue capacity. We started at 17:00 for 18:00, and stopped at 22:00, to adhere to the 23:00 curfew. Learners were banned from holding after parties,” said Meyer.
Paul Roos Gymnasium hosted their matric ball in the school parking lot so that the grade 12s could bring partners, according to Stofberg. The event was attended by 248 grade 12s, and about 130 of them were accompanied by dates, she added.
“We are now hosting an outdoor event for less than 500 guests in the parking lot of our original venue – the Paul Roos Centre,” said Stofberg, in reference to the matric event that took place on 30 September.
Paul Roos Gymnasium’s matric farewell, which took place on 30 Septembers, was hosted in a parking lot, in order to accommodate a larger group of attendees, according to Renette Stofberg, a teacher at the school who was involved in organising the matric ball. PHOTO: Carla Visagie
Stellenbosch High School elected to have a cocktail event, instead of a sit-down celebration, for the matrics this year, in order to comply with the Covid-19 regulations, according to Jo Venter, a parent who was involved in organising the school’s matric ball.
“[There was] no welcoming audience, [and no] parents or teachers allowed, to limit numbers [and] to adhere to Covid level 2,” said Venter.
Kayamandi Secondary School did not have a matric ball due to the risk of spreading Covid-19, according to Akhona Mtise, a grade 12 student at Kayamandi Secondary School.
“I was a bit sad because it has always been my wish to go to matric farewell…to experience that moment when you’re beautiful in that dress,” said Mtise.