The presentation of Limpopo school athletics have all the ingredients for a major farce that could end up becoming a major hit on Broadway and having audiences in stitches - if it did not affect schools and learners in such a most detrimental way.
It is almost unimaginable that major schools athletics meetings should be faced with such chaotic (dis)organisation resulting in meetings having to be postponed. Lanes were simply not marked or marked wrongly and learners had to be sent home twice - due to the incompetence of those responsible for the preparation of the venue.
The root of the problem certainly lies with the powers that be, but if one does not know who the powers that be are, it is virtually impossible to address the problem with any measure of success.
The problem is that the buck is incessantly being passed between the Limpopo Department of Education, Limpopo Schools Athletics (Limsa) - the body responsible for schools athletics - and the Polokwane Municipality.
Not a single one of these bodies - whose first responsibility is to serve the taxpaying public and the learners of Limpopo’s schools - is willing to accept responsibility for the debacle. It is an unmitigated shambles.
Nobody seems to give a hoot that valuable school time is being wasted that will certainly contribute to the appallingly low pass rate of learners in Limpopo. Furthermore, it will have an adverse effect on the performance of athletes in the province, especially when they have to compete at national level.
The worst outcome of this sad state of affairs is the influence it will have on the discipline of learners and the lack of respect they will have for the authorities because of this major bungling.
Our youth deserve better.