Plett Rage, a mass event for matrics to celebrate completing their schooling, has officially been cancelled. This comes after the Ballito Rage parties were marked as super-spreader events and all attendees were encouraged to quarantine and get tested.
In a statement, the organiser of Plett Rage, Ronen Klugman announced that the party, which was scheduled to take place from January 29 to February 2, 2021, has been cancelled for the class of 2020 following advice given by local authorities, public pressure as well as at the request of the National Institute For Communicable Diseases (NICD).
Organisers also failed to get permission from Garden Route officials, and decided against contesting the refusal in court.
The Bitou Municipality and Plett Tourism are in support of this change as it is in the best interests to ensure the safety of the students and their families.
“We are steadfast in promoting safe travels for all guests in Plettenberg Bay, and we want the students to enjoy every moment while in Plett and encourage a positive experience. We are looking forward to hosting this event in 2021,” commented Andile Namntu, Bitou Municipal spokesperson.
“It is clear to us that regardless of the measures and precautions that we had put in place to ensure the safety of our attendees, the coronavirus is uncontrollable. The risk that this poses to you, our staff, our suppliers, artists, as well as the greater community does not warrant pushing forward,” said Klugman.
About 900 people, including event staff and locals that are directly linked to hosting the festival, are losing out on earnings during this period.
In the lead up to the event, organisers continued to incur significant costs, and thus cannot offer full refunds to those who have already purchased their tickets.
“As much as we would love to give everyone back as much money as possible, we simply can not afford to refund more than 50% in line with our existing terms and conditions,” Klugman explained.
“If you are in a position where you do not need the money and want to help give the Plett Rage Festival a fighting chance, we would like to offer you the opportunity to hold onto your ticket until we go on sale next year. When we go on sale we will give you the first opportunity to resell your ticket at next years price and receive 75% of its value back.”
If you wish to donate towards those severely affected by COVID’s impact, you may contribute your refund amount to South African Fund 4 Entertainment (www.safefund.org.za).
