Some learners at the Adam Masebe Secondary School in Hammanskraa were found in possession of dagga and dangerous weapons and a knife was confiscated from a grade 10 learner during a random school search conducted by Gauteng Safety MEC Faith Mazibuko and the Gauteng Provincial SAPS Commissioner, Lieutenant General Elias Mawela.
Following these discoveries, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial legislature, called on both the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety, Faith Mazibuko and the MEC for Education, Mr Panyaza Lesufi, to conduct unannounced school searches regularly to ensure learners and teachers’ safety at schools across the province.
DA Media and Issues Specialist, Ms Charity Moyo, said “discovery of dangerous weapons and dagga on learners are just some of the many incidents that indicate that the safety of learners and teachers is under threat.
“These two departments are not doing enough to adequately address safety in schools, in most instances they only react after a terrible incident has occurred.
“It is high time that these departments work together and intensify schools’ safety awareness, we urge parents and members of the community to work with the police in reporting the crime,” she said.
She said the palisade fence project at the school has been abandoned and called on the Gauteng Department of Education to ensure that this project resume for the safety of learners.
Ms Moyo also sighted incidents in other parts of the Gauteng Province that demonstrates the laxity of the safety of learners.
“A leaner allegedly of Jabulani Technical High School in Soweto, took a selfie photograph posing with a firearm while wearing a school uniform. Another incident at Forest High School in Turffontein, a learner was stabbed to death in June this year,” she said.
At the time of publishing, the Provincial Gauteng Education Department had not responded to questions sent to them.