Fourteen year old Junior Station Commander wants to fight drug abuse in schools
An energetic young Nonjabulo Nxumalo has vowed to fight drug and domestic abuse through support groups that will be formed in schools.
The 14 year old grade 11 pupil was appointed yesterday, 4 February 2014 as a junior station Commander of Elukwatini Police Station after a series of debates and presentations by learners from nine different Secondary Schools in Albert Luthuli Municipality.
The young genius was nominated after she offered excellent presentations on school safety measures during a regional school safety project of the Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison and South African Police Services.
Nxumalo who is from Dlomodlomo Secondary School situated in Nhlazatje was placed at the top amongst other learners and walked away with a golden trophy, certificate and her new Junior Station Commander title. During the debates, a number of learners were given the opportunity to discuss all crime related issues that affect young people in communities and schools. The School Safety Programme is amongst other key performance areas of the department to ensure safe learning and teaching in schools.
As required from a Junior Station Commander, Nxumalo will be a connecting force between learners and the police on issues of crime that affect schools and individual learners. As she assumes her duties, Nxumalo says she will ensure that there is awareness created amongst learners about the dangers of using drugs and its relation to crime and the consequences thereof.
“I want to use this platform as well to motivate young girls about purity because that’s where it all starts with dating “sugar daddies” and later lead to rape and teenage pregnancy,” said Nxumalo.
According to her, she will also organise a massive march on drug abuse and invite other schools, departments and involve communities to participate. Gert Sibande Region Programme Coordinator in the department Ms Busi Khanye says this programme which has been there for years does assist the department and police to fight crime. According to Khanye, school learners are the most vulnerable to crime hence this programme will assist to influence young people about the dangers of being involved in crime.
“We are planning to roll out this programme in all police stations but we are prioritising in terms of the most problematic policing precinct in order to deal with crime once and for all,” said Khanye.
Meanwhile, Community Safety, Security and Liaison MEC Vusi Shongwe has congratulated the young Nxumalo saying that she is a brilliant ambassador of school safety in the province.
Shongwe says the province was in need of such young brains that will assist in combating crime and usage of drugs in schools. The MEC further stated that Nxumalo will lead other school pupils to a crime and drug free society.
Enquiries:
Joseph Mabuza
Tel: 013 766 4055
Cell: 082 678 1450
E-mail: emabuza@mpg.gov.za
