Deputy Minister of Police, Ms Sotyu
Deputy Minister of Basic Education, Mr Surty
MEC for Community Safety, Ms Mazibuko
School Governing Bodies
Learners and educators
Honoured guests
As I was reflecting on this on this issue of school safety, it dawned on me that at the heart of it, we all want the same thing. We want an environment that is conducive to learning. We want our children to focus on their education. We want to protect them from negative influences. We want to protect them from people to sell drugs and others who lead them astray. Most importantly, we want them to succeed.
I am therefore pleased to be part of the school-based crime prevention initiative. The idea is to structure and enhance the participation of police officers in promoting safe and orderly, crime-free school environments. The promotion of crime-free environments is also intended to support children in building their resilience against crime, and get them accustomed to a culture of positive interaction with others.
Crime, violence and abuse affect all spheres of our community, and many schools are not always free from fear, intimidation or victimisation. Prevention and early interventions are the most reliable and cost-effective ways to support schools in consistently delivering teaching and learning in an environment that is physically and socially safe.
Deputy Ministers, I am certain you will agree with me when I say ngwana wa tshwaraganelwa. As the police, we are involved in crime prevention and safe school programmes. Through these programmes we interact with school communities in order to address factors that contribute to crime. This includes participation on Safe School Committees (also known as School Safety Teams), Adopt-A-Cop and Top Cops projects and other locally specific safe schools projects and programmes.
The South African Police Service developed and implemented Guidelines for Schools Based Crime Prevention in 2009. These guidelines clearly sets out the role and responsibilities expected from a police officer. They also stipulated the policing tools and methods to be used in order to assist schools to plan comprehensively for ways of avoiding crimes from occurring within their environments.
This is done through identification of crime threats and crime pattern analysis and development of plans that should address specific crime challenges. For example a school may be in a neighbourhood characterised by drug dealing. This places learners at risk of drug use and its attendant problems.
The Safe Schools Committee can then decide to intervene through random searches and seizures, motivational talks with drug rehabilitation organisations and other means that focus on reducing drug abuse. In addition, other initiatives by the police station aimed at discouraging drug peddling and disrupting the criminal activities can be conducted.
MECs, Educators, School Governing Bodies and all other role players present here today, ngwana wa tshwaraganelwa. Things are a lot more complex for the learners, they need all of us. They need caring police officers. Furthermore, the Community Police Forums play a vital and pivotal role in school safety as the structure is an ideal platform to address violence and crime in the community as it impacts on schools.
Programme Director, let me conclude by turning my attention to the most important people here today: the learners. What I am going to say, you already know. But I am urging you to listen carefully because it is up to you whether you one day end up as CEO of a major business, a teacher, a school principal, a successful business person or a Minister in government or the National Commissioner of the Police.
Yes, I may be the National Commissioner but I am a mother too. I also have grandchildren and it is my vision to leave behind a better South Africa for you and for them. But it remains up to you to decide whether you are going to spend a good part of your life running away from the police or in jail. The choice is yours. That choice will remain yours until the day you leave this world. Regardless of how hard we work in ensuring your safety, if we receive no cooperation from you, then we won’t succeed. I am passionate about your education and remain hopeful that you will work with us for your success.
I love you all and thank you very much!
