Crime awareness campaign at Nancy Shiba

Due to the continuing spate of incidents of school violence in certain parts of the country that is getting out of hand, Vosman SAPS recently visited a number of schools, including Nancy Shiba Primary School.

The police believe that the campaigns are one of the ways of maintaining crime-free learning areas.
Recently a 16-year-old pupil from one of the local secondary schools was found with dagga. The school was visited on Wednesday, March 26.

Constable Ordelia Sithole relates to the pupils the need to be pro active and prevent being victims of crime. She told the children that they are vunerable as they were young and some were staying without their parents.

She urged the children to report any criminal activity they see in their schools and homes.
“Some children claim that poverty leads them to crime, it must not be so. Children are easy targets for criminals, so be very careful, you must learn to choose good from bad. Listen and respect your parents, teachers and elderly people. Do not get involved with the wrong friends and choose the correct role models.”

The children were advised about domestic violence, harmful substances and others. They were encouraged to change their situation for a better future.

Ms Thandekile Nhlambo from South African National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence (SANCA) addressed the pupils on how young children start by sniffing glue using their socks, then ‘graduated’ to cigarettes then to drugs like dagga and others.
She added that Sanca’s mission was to develop, consolidate and sustain outcome based addiction services in South Africa through active partnerships with governments and other stakeholders like schools and their vision was to be the most effective organisation in the field of prevention and treatment of chemical dependence in South Africa.

She also talked about their treatment, in-patients, out-patients, diversion programmes, statutory and their after care programmes.
“Please concentrate on their studies, be role models to young children, do not bring dangerous weapons to schools and report high risk situations. We have come to the school to show that we love you,” noted Ms Nhlambo .

Captain Klaas Maloka gave the pupil’s useful hints and the crime free number to call when the need arises.
“We are of the view that the campaigns in schools will drastically reduce the involvement of young people in various criminal activities. We also wanted to show learners that it is our responsibility to fight crime at their schools. We want to prevent what is happening in certain areas through crime-awareness campaigns and school visits,” he said.

Captain Maloka added that awareness campaigns will continue in all the schools around the communities in which the station serves. He further requested that school officials and principals cooperate with them. He said they want to create a crime-free environment at schools. He emphasised that learners found with dangerous weapons at schools will be charged and arrested.
Some of the pupils received uniforms from the police.