The Mthatha Student Representative Council (SRC), Student Affairs Department in partnership with Liquor Board and KwaMyaluza Security Services hosted a sports carnival in October.
The sports carnival themed ‘Stand Against GBV and Protect Our Women’ was aimed at educating students about responsible drinking and the dangers of alcohol, especially on women.
It was a fun-filled three-day carnival where WSU students and staff went head to head on both the football and netball field.
“WSU has created a platform for people who are passionate about sports to succeed and we take pride in creating these platforms because we want to create a variety of opportunities for success. There are so many success stories and that is why I encourage students to also consider opportunities in sports,” said Senior Sports Officer, Siyabulela Tshangela.
He added, “For instance, Anele Madlala and Ayanda Masiko are one of our success stories amongst others. Madlala became a world champion in Karate when he competed in Russia and Masiko went on to play for Chippa United football club.”
Tshangela said he hopes the success of these athletes would inspire other students to engage in healthier habits that could possibly lead to their success.
Shadow Bombers, who also represented the university at the OR Tambo Netball league, took the cup as winners of the netball league, while the City of Hope knocked out 22 football teams in the league, making them new reigning champions in 2021.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape Liquor Board also took the tournament as an opportunity to educate the crowd around issues of alcohol abuse and its negative societal impact.
Liqour Board staffer, Nomakhaya Mrwetyana, said, “The main message for our educational talk was binge drinking and responsible drinking. We encouraged mostly the netball team to drink responsibly and educated them about Foetal Alcohol Syndrome.”
Mthatha SRC Premier, Litha Ngalonkulu, said, “We are trying as much as we can as student leaders to reduce the level of us drinking net to the main road by hosting events of this nature that will keep the students occupied and revive their student life through sports.”
Ngalonkulu further added that taking students out of irresponsible drinking cannot be achieved overnight and that it will require the management to give the necessary attention to sporting activities and encourage students to participate.
Tshangela added, “Overall, the carnival was a great success and it received great support. The highlight was seeing new talent amongst students, talent that has potential for success.”
By Ongezwa Sigodi & Anita Roji