Matric rage 'investment'

"I wouldn't say we are lucky to have these drunk teenagers here but they do bring in money to the local economy"

UMHLANGA and Ballito residents are trying to ignore the loud late night parties, public indecency and the drinking frenzy in the hope that those attending this year's matric rage will bring cash to the coastal towns when they are adults.

Fed up of complaining, locals are putting up with the 10,000 teenagers who descended on the coast last week for what has traditionally become a must for privileged matriculants.

Umhlanga Tourism chairman Peter Rose said: "Yes they give us headaches and do get up to mischief but we'd rather have them here than not have them at all.

"We believe that they will grow up to become responsible adults who will remember that they had a good time in Umhlanga and will bring their families on holiday. It's a future investment."

Matric rage is estimated to contribute between R10-million and R40-million to the local economy.

Many locals are biting their tongues as they bare the raucous partying set to end on December 10.

Harry Davies, a resident, said: "The world is experiencing hard times. I wouldn't say we are lucky to have these drunk teenagers here but they do bring in money to the local economy."

While Davies walked past a group of inebriated boys and a teenage couple fondling each other on a patch of grass just off Umhlanga's main beach, an elderly couple could not ignore the scene before them.

"You should be ashamed of yourselves. This is a public area and what you are doing is not meant to be done in public," the woman shouted at them.

The inebriated boys rolled on the grass and laughed at the woman while the teenage couple got up and left.

Despite the large number of disorderly youngsters roaming the streets into the early hours of the morning, volunteers from Red Frogs, an organisation offering assistance and support to the teenagers, are surprised that this year's celebrations have been "uneventful".

"In the past, we have had to rush people to hospital to have their stomach pumped but this year we actually are not even busy," Red Frogs spokeswoman Jess Basson said.

Basson said police were on hand to arrest unruly teenagers and had warned against public drinking.

Bruce Hurley of G& Productions, which started the matric rage in KwaZulu-Natal, said there were no "horror stories" to report.

When two boys got into a fist fight, they were immediately restrained, had their rage passports confiscated, and were officially kicked out of the celebrations, he said.

Hurley praised Durban Metro Police and the SAPS for the high police visibility.

But police declined to comment .

"We have conducted enquiries but there is no information," Captain Thulani Zwane said.