SEBOKENG – Jwili was stabbed to death during a gang-related fight outside the school premises on Thursday, February 22.
The Mec and his fellow colleagues arrived at the school where a feedback meeting was conducted and later proceeded to the Jwili family, a stone-throw away from the school.
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Addressing the media Chiloane said the department sees the need to strengthen the security at the school.
“We have realized there is a need to improve our focus in strengthening safety and security in schools that are in hotspot area where gangsterism filter into schools. We will be working together with several stakeholders including local law enforcement, internal security, and increasing patrollers. We need to report the situation much early because we know the learners involved in gangsterism in our school and we know learners that are affected by substance abuse,” he said.
Chiloane said there is a suspect arrested following the stabbing.
“There is a suspect arrested. He confessed; he explained what happened to the police. He (suspect) said he was at the school to help his friend because there was an alteration a day before the incident and he had come to assist his friend. The culprit has said he will confess that he was the one who stabbed the deceased,” he added.
The Mec further added that her is concerned by the growing number of stabbings happening in the schools across Gauteng.
“These incidents are happening due to what’s happening in the communities. So communities must come on board as critical stakeholders. There are where local leadership, the councilors and other CPF are working together, visiting schools and randomly searching pupils. During those activities they find very dangerous weapons including knives, firearms, machetes’ and that shows the situations in our communities. Our children are vulnerable and can easily be influenced into these wrong things,” he said.
Chiloane gave a list schools alleged to be hot spots affected by gangsterism and said the department is dealing with the challenges of gangsterism.
“We do know these hot spot areas such as Westbury. We know where we have problems hence we beefing up security. We looking also in finding private companies who will assist. There is a lot of work happening in solving this problem,” he said.
Chiloane said the two incidents which happened at the school [Dinokaneng] were not linked.
And he added that. one pupil was stabbed following an altercation during break time where pupils were playing soccer. The said pupil was stabbed to near death and was taken to a local hospital.
“The incidents are not linked. The other one was an altercation in a sports field. But this shows the situation in our communities, where when these pupil differ in something that leads to stabbing. We are really in trouble,” he said.
Touching on the private security companies which will be brought to assist troubled schools, Chiloane said his department will be setting aside a budged for them.
“We do have some budget to assist us as the department,” he concluded.
