Community Safety
- Whether he and his Department has a plan to ensure the safety of learners at Western Cape school; if not; why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
- whether there is collaboration or interdepartmental cooperation between his Department and the Western Cape Education Department to deal with the challenges facing learners; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details;
to what extent are Community Policing Forums (CPFs) and Community Safety Forums (CSFs) used to curb and eradicate violent killings at schools?
(1) Yes. The School Safety Project (SSP) seeks to increase safety through the deployment of School Safety Marshals at high risk schools. The objective is to reduce levels of violence, gangsterism and crime at these schools in the Province. Currently approximately 285 School Safety Marshalls are deployed at 146 schools.
In addition, the Department of Community Safety has embarked on the Walking Bus programme. With the collaboration of Schools, Municipalities, SAPS, Metro Police, Law Enforcement, Traffic, CPFs and NHW structures, members of the broader community, especially parents, are encouraged to voluntarily walk groups of learners to school and back.
The Department of Community Safety provides the basic kits for members of the Walking Bus, such as their bibs and whistles. The programme is further supported with daily contact via various methods of social media, regular follow up meetings, workshops and training. The initial launch of the Walking Bus project was in March 2016 at Wesbank and started with 150 members covering four (4) schools. The group grew to nearly 300 members within 3 days.
At present the Walking Bus initiative operates in Lentegeur, Beacon Valley, Bishop Lavis, Scottsdene, Blue Downs- Eersteriver, Leonsdale- Elsies River, Bonteheuwel, Hanover Park, Manenberg, Ocean View, Delft, Cafda, Lavender Hill, Steenberg, Atlantis, Paarl East, Macassar, Strand and in outlying areas such as George, Mossel Bay, Knysna, Bredasdorp and Kleinmond.
As a consequence of this initiative learners are excited and eager to participate, feeling safe and secure. Learners are also generally more disciplined during school hours. Safety Officers have adopted the attitude of ‘your child is my child’. Truancy is also being addressed at the same time.
(2) Yes. The project is being facilitated in partnership with WCED through its Safer Schools’ Project, The SAPS, City Law Enforcement, local CPFs and NHWs. The WCED is responsible for the infrastructural safety aspects of the initiative. The City Of Cape Town Law Enforcement supports the department with the placement of Safety Resource Officers at priority schools in Cape Town. Traffic Law Enforcement support offers parents when walking learners to and from schools.
(3) The Department has initiated a safety partnership with the Nyanga CPF and NHW to improve safety in and around Nelson Mandela High School. The project started in September 2015 and it involved entering into a MOA with the Nyanga CPF enabling the deployment of about 20 NHW patrollers on the school premises to deter scholars from being involved in illicit activities like drugs, gangsterism and carrying of weapons.
The School Safety Project will be integrated into the Neighbourhood Watch Safety Programme which will endeavour to build safety within communities through community participation. In this instance it will be done by establishing partnerships with Neighbourhood Watch Structures and Community Police Forums to deploy Neighbourhood Watch members at high risk schools amongst other things.
