SEDIBENG – And the Sedibeng Community Forum is working around the clock to keep such schools safe and conducive to learning.
Recently, different law enforcement agencies including South African Police Services, Correctional Services, Department of Social Development, and other stakeholders have embarked on school safety talks and cycle tours.
The tour visited different schools such as Vaal High School in Vanderbijlaprk, Kgokare Secondary School in Sebokeng, Meyerton Secondary School in Midvaal, and others to have talking sessions.
Sketches from different organizations showcasing how to deal with substance abuse and gangsterism were played out.
Speaking to Sedibeng Ster, Sedibeng District Municipality Assistant Manager: Crime Prevention, Peter Kele said the program was started in 2016 by the Department of Correctional Services.
“This programme was started seven years ago by Baba Kubeka, an ex-convict, and Solly Korai, a retired Prison Warden at Groenpunt Correctional facility. The idea was born from the view of growing crime within local schools, especially issue of gangsterism and drugs,” he said.
Kele added that the programme stopped due to covid and they felt the need to continue it now.
“We felt this year we should take it forward and it’s turning into a success. We identified problematic schools and brought the programme to them. After we completed the visits, we will revisit the schools and monitor progress. We are going to host this event twice a year, again in June, we will add more schools and take our initiative to them,” he said.
Kele said the headaches of gangsterism are born from initiation schools.
The cycle tour was launched at Leuuhof Prison and continued to different schools.
Sedibeng Police spokesman Sergeant Shaan Motsapi said “our role is to teach about crime as part of the stakeholders of this event. We want our pupils to learn and understand that crime doesn’t pay. We are aware that our communities are having gangs and we are dealing with them”.
Sketches were performed by different groups, displaying plays of gangsterism, initiation schools, and gender-based violence stories.
