Programme Director
Representatives from Limpopo Department of Education
Representatives of the Executive Mayor of Emalahleni Municipality
Head of Department, Mrs Mahlasedi Mhlabane
District Director Mr JJ Mabena
Our sister Chomee and your manager
District Management Team
Distinguished guests
Circuit Managers
Media
Principals
Educators and learners,
I take this time to extend the Mpumalanga Department of Education’s profound appreciation for the warm welcome we have received. We have gathered here at Kopanang secondary school this afternoon to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the Torch of Peace.
The Torch of Peace idea was conceptualised in 2006 and it intends to mobilise our communities to get rid of all forms of social ills such as violence, drugs and substance abuse, and to create a peaceful environment that is conducive to improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the potential of each person.
The Constitution of the Republic advocates that we should do everything in our power to heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.
It further obliges us to lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in which government is based on the will of the people and every citizen is equally protected by law; and build a united and democratic South Africa able to take its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of nations.
As a people and a nation we should all embrace these values and advocate them through words and deeds on a daily basis.
It is by no coincidence that the theme for this year’s Torch of Peace is: “Education lighting the Torch to create safe and caring schools: Don’t look away – act against violence in schools.”
This theme calls for strict enforcement of progressive endevours to ensure that our schools should be violent free zones.
It seeks to ensure that no learner or educator should in any manner experience violence, threats or intimidation of any form.
This event must add impetus on government’s quest to develop a rapid response approach to mitigate anything that seeks to divert our attention from rendering quality learning and teaching which is our core business.
We deliberately chose to host this event in Kopanang because we are reliably informed that in this school there is a deliberate attempt to close the old culture of lawlessness, hatred, lack of delivery of teaching and learning and to free itself from any form of dysfunctionality, staff infighting and low levels of motivation from all corners.
It is in that context that we decided to come here and join you to celebrate your good desires and to further motivate you to do more in leveraging the good name of Kopanang.
“Kopanang” means coming together for forge a common vision that will emancipate our people from the doldrums of poverty to prosperity and there is neither country nor nation that can prosper if their people are not educated.
Education is the only corner stone and fundamental pillar to better the lives of our people and this is what we want to see happening in this school community.
It is based on this context that the current government resolved to make education a societal phenomenon and above that placed education high on its list of priorities.
This Torch of Peace calls for us to confront our beliefs and attitudes towards gender based violence in the form of rape, bulling, harassment, stigmatisation, intimidation, assault and corporal punishment.
These acts are by law prohibited in our communities and especially in our schools.
Anyone who practices them must know that he/she does that at her own peril and does not have a place in our school system.
Let me use this opportunity and indicate to you the number of misconduct cases involving educators that we had to deal with last year.
We recorded 156 cases of misconduct and of these 10 were cases of fraud, 12 of abscondment, 20 of absenteeism, 1 of poor performance, 3 of incapacity and substance abuse, 9 of defiance and usage of abusive language, 1 of sexual harassment, 8 of corporal punishment assault, 2 of theft, 12 of mismanagement of funds and misuse of GG vehicles.
As if these cases are not enough, we also recorded 3 cases of sexual relationship with learners, 1 of falsification of documents, 2 cases of bribery, 2 of corruptions and 2 of sexual assault.
The outcomes of these cases have amongst others resulted in the issuing of final warnings, fines, and suspensions without pay, demotions and dismissals.
This wastes our time and diverts our attention from our core business which is teaching and learning.
It is therefore advisable for managers, educators and learners to adhere to policy and departmental prescripts and avoid misconduct at all times. We must all conduct ourselves in a manner that improves human dignity and promote acceptable value systems and Ubuntu.
Let us all declare here and now that we behave in a manner that promotes South Africa as a land of peace and loving citizens as we displayed to the whole world when we hosted the FIFA World Cup.
South Africa is always alive with possibilities and education is our only key to attain those possibilities.
Today we are making a clarion call to all parents, learners and educators to be activists of safe and caring schools.
On the 7 January 2011, the department launched the Rhandza Xikolo Xa Wena Campaign at Zinikeleni Secondary School in Carolina.
This campaign is aimed at encouraging learners and educators to take pride in their school buildings and environments. This is an effort to persuade communities to embrace and respect our schools.
We are collaborating in this case with ABSA, ICT Works and COSAS to paint schools, plant vegetables and flower gardens, plant trees and rehabilitate broken furniture.
The Representative Council for Learners and learners in general has a responsibility to make schools a safe and caring environment.
Equally, educators and parents are obliged to do the same.
The President in his State of Nation Address on the 10 February 2011 said, I quote;
“The focus in basic education this year is Triple T: Teachers, Textbooks and Time.
We reiterate our call that teachers must be at school, in class, on time, teaching for at least seven hours a day.”
We urge all our educators to heed to the call that says be in class on time, as a department we are determined to make sure that every learner has a textbook.
Our learners must accept that the main reason for being at school is to learn and develop academically, socially and culturally; adhere to school rules and respect the legitimacy and authority of teachers.
Learners must participate in Learner Representative Councils (LRCs) and show respect to other learners and not to discriminate against others; avoid anti-social behaviour like theft, vandalism, assault, sexual harassment, alcohol and drug abuse as well as other activities that disrupt the learning process.
Parents must involve themselves actively in school governance structures; have regular discussions with children about general school matters; and cultivate a healthy, open and cooperative relationship with their children's teachers.
They must create a home environment conducive to study and assist in the protection of educational resources such as textbooks, chairs, tables and others.
We say this because last year alone we had 776 cases that involved learners and of these 74 were of Dangerous objects, 59 of indulging in drugs and alcohol, 47 physical violence, 11 discrimination, 11 sexual violence, 49 involving journey to and from school, 58 learner misconduct, 55 injuries, 5 death at school or during a school activity, 17 damage to property, 290 theft and robbery, 97 verbal abuse, 3 initiation practices.
This is not cool and has to be corrected as a matter of urgency.
In conclusion,
The Torch of Peace will be in our province until 7 March 2011. We wish that the spirit of the Torch of Peace can touch each and every school in the Province.
I plead with each and every one of us to become ambassadors of the Safe and caring schools. Let the spirit of this Torch of Peace reign in our schools and help our dear learners and educators enjoy the teaching and learning experience.
On 7 March, we will be taking this Torch of Peace down to the Free State province and hope that even after the Torch of Peace would have left the corners of the province, the spirit will continue to burn in the hearts and heads of our communities.
Enjoy your schooling days and do us proud.
I take this time to extend our appreciation to the leadership of our sister province Limpopo for handing over this symbol of Love, Unity and Peace.
We are grateful for having you in the Mpumalanga a province with a pioneering spirit and please relay our profound excitement and joy to your MEC.
We take this time to thank the leadership of Kopanang for hosting this event.
We are excited to have our sister Chomee gracing this event and we will be happy if she could through her rendition indicate to you the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.
Thank you.
