By Levy Masiteng
Suspected dagga, disposable vapes, cigarettes, broken glass, scissors, and other prohibited items have been seized during unannounced search-and-seizure operations at three high schools in Alexandra, as Gauteng intensifies efforts to address safety and substance abuse in schools.
The SAPS-led operation was conducted on Wednesday at East Bank High School, Realogile High School, and Alexandra High School, with Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile joining law-enforcement officials as part of the province’s school safety campaign.
According to the Gauteng Department of Education, more than 109 items were seized across the three schools.
At East Bank High School, about 40 items were recovered, including disposable vapes, cigarettes, suspected dagga joints, sachets containing a green leafy substance suspected to be dagga, grinders, scissors, folding multi-tools, glass shards and other prohibited items.
At Realogile High School, more than 41 items were seized, including disposable vapes, glass and mirror shards, scissors, matchboxes and other miscellaneous items.
More than 20 muffins or cupcakes were also recovered and will be inspected to determine whether they contain prohibited substances. The department stressed that no determination has yet been made about their contents.
A further 28 items were recovered at Alexandra High School, including disposable vapes, sachets containing a substance suspected to be dagga, matchboxes, broken glass, a folding multi-tool, a spanner or wrench and an improvised metal tool.
Overall, the operation uncovered 14 sachets containing substances suspected to be dagga and three suspected dagga joints, alongside other prohibited items.
“The discovery of suspected drugs, knives, broken glass, scissors and other potentially dangerous objects in our schools is deeply concerning. These items have absolutely no place in an environment intended for teaching and learning,” Maile said.
The operation comes as the department steps up efforts to address school safety challenges across the province.
The department has identified 245 schools as high-risk following an environmental analysis of crime and violence that profiled more than 1,300 schools across Gauteng.
The assessment identified concerns including violence and gang activity, bullying, substance abuse, vandalism, theft and criminal activity around schools.
The high-risk school assessment forms part of the province’s efforts to introduce targeted safety interventions.
“These unannounced operations are necessary to protect learners and educators and ensure that our schools remain safe,” Maile said.
He also called on parents and communities to play a more active role in school safety, urging parents to pay attention to what learners take with them to school.
The substances suspected to be illegal drugs will undergo the appropriate processes to establish their contents, while learners found in possession of prohibited items will be dealt with through relevant school disciplinary procedures.
Where conduct potentially amounts to a criminal offence, the matter will be handled by SAPS.
“Our schools are sacred spaces for education. We cannot allow drugs, weapons, violence or criminal behaviour to rob learners of their constitutional right to education,” Maile said.
The Alexandra operation followed similar SAPS-led searches at identified schools elsewhere in Gauteng this month, as the department targets violence, gangsterism, substance abuse and other threats to teaching and learning.
“We will continue supporting SAPS and other law enforcement agencies in conducting random searches because learners must understand that bringing drugs, weapons and other prohibited items onto school premises will have consequences,” Maile said.
INSIDE EDUCATION
