In an effort to enhance crime prevention and safety in schools in Mpumalanga, the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison will take 60 learners from three schools in Gert Sibande Region on a prison visit.
Seme, Hlelimfundo and Langwane secondary schools are among those that are deemed to be problematic in the area and they are located in Daggakraal, Amersfoort and Volksrust respectively. With the assistance of the schools, learners from different grades were identified and are the ones who will be taken for the prison tour.
With the escalating incidences of violence in schools in the province recently, MEC Gabisile Shabalala believes that the programme will bring about good behavior among learners and stability in schools especially those where most cases were recorded. Shabalala says that the problem of violence in schools has become one of the most pressing educational challenges the country faces.
“We have seen through researches that most of these crimes and violent activities come as a result of drug consumption by some learners. Through reports, we have heard that Gert Sibande Region is has cases of gang violence in some areas. Learning and teaching therefore becomes negatively affected,”the MEC said.
“As government, we are charged with the responsibility of ensuring that schools are crime free zones, we therefore need to confront these challenges and reclaim our schools and communities from being sites of crime and instability, ” she stated..
The prison visit is an annual programme of the department together with the Department of Education to educate young people about the dangers of crime. Learners will also experience the life in prison in order to discourage them from committing crime. Over and above, the learners will be afforded an opportunity to interact with the inmates who are also expected to discourage learners from doing crime.
The department will lead the visit which is scheduled to take place as follows:
Date: 13 August 2019
Venue: Bethal Correctional Services, Local Municipality
Time: 10:00 am
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Issued by Mpumalanga Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison
Enquiries: Moeti Mmusi
Contacts: 084 411 3372