With the 2025 matric exams wrapping up soon, provincial authorities and the Eastern Cape Liquor Board are pulling out all stops to discourage pupils from indulging in pens-down parties.
The delusion that one needs to drink alcohol to have fun is widespread, and has somehow become linked for many youngsters to celebrating the moment their high school careers end after a stressful few months of final exams.
The post-exam celebrations have become a tradition among high school pupils, particularly matriculants.
In a viral video last week, premier Oscar Mabuyane said many of these parties tended to turn unsavoury.
In some instances, pupils have ended up getting raped, he warned.
The liquor board, which has been at the forefront of the fight against the scourge of the pens-down parties in recent years, called out those who continued to organise them, saying it had identified some areas as hotspots for such activities.
“Pens-down should never mean danger.
“As the Eastern Cape provincial government, we are taking action to curb risky post-exam behaviour and keep our young people safe,” Mabuyane said in the video.
“Your future matters — no illegal substances, no underage drinking, no regrets.
“Let us stand united as communities, schools and families to protect our youth. Together we can create a safer, responsible celebration season.”
Mabuyane called on municipalities to implement laws regulating the sale of alcohol, to curb the parties and ensure pupils did not find themselves falling victim to crime and danger.
The pens-down parties were put under the spotlight after the Nyobeni Tavern tragedy of 2022, where 21 children died at or as a result of attending a pens-down party in Scenery Park, East London.
In its bid to curb and limit alcohol abuse, the liquor board has continued its efforts to raise awareness about such parties, and has even partnered with pupils and community members to receive prior notices of any planned events.
Board spokesperson Mgwebi Msiya said the board had, in partnership with pupil ambassadors from various municipalities, identified hotspots such as Mthatha and eNcgobo where serious intervention was needed.
Msiya noted that the board had received three tip-offs of planned pens-down parties in Mthatha and five tip-offs of similar parties in eNgcobo.
“Those [Mthatha and eNgcobo] are the two areas which are a bit of a concern for us, and of course, the Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay metros — those are the four areas.
“These parties are set to commence on the 21st and 22nd, because they are finishing exams, and that is why they are planning these pens-down parties.
“We have received from eNgcobo posters which are marketing these events, and some even have entrance fees to the value of R200.
“These are the well-orchestrated parties. We want to prevent them from taking place,” Msiya said.
Further deaths have occurred since Enyobeni.
Earlier in 2025, three people died and several were injured at a pens-down event in Nompumelelo in Beacon Bay.
Posters and invitations are prolifically shared and circulated online, and parents find it hard to rein their children in.
The board noted it was hard to stop teen drinking, and in cases where alcohol was sold by liquor-board-approved establishments, the board would ensure that such places were prohibited from selling alcohol to teens, Msiya said.
“We have partnered with different sectors of communities, traditional leaders, law enforcement and schools.
“When we intensified our interventions and anti-pens down campaigns, we saw a decrease in the planned events, with our partnership with learner ambassadors proving vital,” Msiya said.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape education authorities have taken to social media with a campaign to discourage pens-down parties.
On Thursday, education MEC Fundile Gade posted several posters saying “You’ve finished exams, not your future”; “Your future is worth more than one night”; and “Say yes to a bright future”, which form part of an anti-pens-down parties campaign.
Gade wrote on his social media account: “As the Eastern Cape provincial government, we are taking proactive measures to curb hazardous post-exam behaviour and ensure the safety and well-being of our youth.”
Questions were sent to the department’s spokesperson, Malibongwe Mtima, but he had not responded by the time of publication.
Daily Dispatch
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