Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu have committed to making South African schools safer, stating that learning environments must no longer serve as crime scenes.
The two ministers launched the Safer Schools Protocol in Cape Town on Tuesday, 24 June, following alarming statistics revealing that 28 learners were murdered during the 2023/2024 financial year — nearly half of those killings occurred in KwaZulu-Natal.
Minister Gwarube said the updated protocol marks a shift toward evidence-based, collaborative safety interventions involving educators, law enforcement, parents, and communities.
“The Safer Schools Protocol is just the beginning of our partnership. It has now been modernised. We are also implementing school-based crime prevention programmes, and there will be legal provision for police to conduct search and seizures in schools,” said Gwarube.
Police Minister Mchunu emphasised that the protocol must produce a real, measurable impact in classrooms across the country. He called on communities to take an active role in safeguarding schools, particularly in high-risk provinces such as Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, and the Western Cape.
“In the recently released crime statistics, six murders and 80 rapes were recorded as having occurred on school premises,” Mchunu revealed.
“We must ensure our police stations are well-resourced to respond adequately to school-related crimes. Our policing must be proactive, responsive, and effective. I want to assure South Africans that we are rebuilding our police service with this focus in mind.”
VOC News
Photo: DBE_SA/X
