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The Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane has vowed to intensify school safety intervention programmes within the province. This follows a breakfast session held on Friday morning with over 200 principals and stakeholders with an interest on education at the Heidelberg Town Hall.
 
The MEC used the platform to congratulate Ratanda High School and Volks Skool for their academic excellence in the recent 2018 Matric results. They both achieved a pass rate of 87% and 73%, respectively.  The MEC also vowed to rid Heidelberg policing precinct schools of criminal elements. Khanya Lesedi High School is one of the schools with prevalent cases of bullying, gangsterism, alcohol and substance abuse which needed special attention.
 
The MEC later visited Ratanda High School to congratulate them on their achievement and offered support by providing teaching and learning material in the form of stationery. The entourage led by the MEC then visited Khanya Lesedi High School and immediately ordered the police to do a random search. Upon searching the school, various dangerous weapons such as knives and scissors, drugs as well as dagga were confiscated.
 
“I am very pleased with the manner in which some of the schools within Heidelberg policing precinct have performed. I therefore commend the teachers, principals and school governing bodies for the nurturing of our learners. On that note, I am equally disappointed at seeing dangerous weapons, alcohol and substance abuse at Khanya Lesedi High School.  Our schools which used to be institutions of academic excellence have become a haven for criminals.
 
As government, we need to create a safe, caring and conducive learning environment. I am firmly of a view that safe and secure schools offer our learners an opportunity to develop their full potential without any disorder.
 
I have since instructed our law enforcement agencies to continue to conduct random unannounced visit to schools as a matter of urgency. It is critical that key stakeholders such as the community through community policing forums and law enforcement agencies work together in bringing criminal elements in our respective schools to acceptable levels,” said MEC Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane.
 
Recently, Menzi primary school in Tsakane, Ekurhuleni experienced a break-in resulting in several electronic accessories  such as smart boards and laptops stolen.
 
 

Issued by the Gauteng Department of Community Safety