Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says station commanders will now have to communicatee with schools in their areas to share information on possible threats.

Mchunu says there is a high rate of violence in schools, most particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Gauteng and Western Cape. Mchunu, together with Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube, signed a joint Safe Schools Protocol in Cape Town to ensure safety at schools.

“We don’t want to see children turning violent against each other, instead of being protective. Well, violence we do experience it throughout the Republic. But there are four particular provinces that are a worry. And we would want to share this with everybody out there so that when we deploy resources and all that. And even our eyes and ears. We take particular note, that Gauteng, KZN, Eastern Cape and Western Cape are major sponsors of violence. And criminality in general, in the country.”

The Department of Basic Education says alarming levels of violence at schools, such as rape and murder, have necessitated the move.

Minister Gwarube says safety committees will be formed involving all sectors of the schooling community.

“Over and above signing this, me and him will go around the country, to make sure this kind of coordination is happening, from principle to station commander to create a culture of collaboration because if we want to bring the incidents down, we will have to make sure collaboration is happening in earnest.”

Police statistics for the 2023/24 financial year, indicate that 28 murders took place at schools, nearly half being learner-on-learner violence.

In addition, two thirds of reported rapes in schools involved learner-on-learner violence.

Mchunu says violence at schools will not be tolerated, “They include bringing to school drugs, and usage thereof by small children, carrying illegal firearms, incidents of extortion, incidents of rape, incidents of extortion and hence we are here to say, no, to that.”

Ministers Siviwe Gwarube, Senzo Mchunu sign a safe schools protocol