Think out the box and try to be proactive

I was booked on a Kulula flight from CPT to Or Tambo and back. Departing Cape Town the Kulula staff were amazing, friendly and helpful despite the massive queues. While checking in at CPT my checked in suitcase contained two kiddies play sword on made of wood and one plastic. Check in staff had no issue as it was in my checked in bag. Ten days later I arrive at OR Tambo and was met with a completely different attitude the check in staff member said the swords would have to be removed from my in checked bag and send as out of gauge? I asked to see the supervisor as this was not the case from CPT to OR Tambo. The Supervisor firstly gave me no chance to talk, he was very much a check the tick boxes guy not a problem solver at all. Once checked in on board, the aircrafts air conditioning unit was not working we must have been on board for 30 minutes plus is boiling hot conditions???? Upon landing in CPT we had a lengthy wait for our out of gauge swords, such a waste of time. Acsa JNB advised they would not flag a bag with a sword in that is checked in. International Aviation rules state as long as toy is toy like not life like it can even go onboard? What is with the mixed info