Teacher puts child safety first
Samuel Mohlakoane is a pro-active Brakpan High School teacher who decided to take control of road safety into his own hands.
Every weekday, from 7.20am until 8am, sometimes even later, he stands at the zebra crossing along Tinker Road, to make sure the pupils cross safely.
Mohlakoane, an Afrikaans teacher for Grades 10 and 11, told the Herald that no pupils have ever been hurt under his watch.
His concern was raised in 2012, when he started to work at the school.
“The road where children need to cross doesn’t have any speed bumps and there isn’t even a traffic light which they can control manually,” said Mohlakoane.
“When children are late for school, they just run without looking.
“That is why I look after their safety, and every morning I pray for help and guidance, because I work with lives.”
Mohlakoane, who is a pastor, also assists with similar activities at a local church.
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The principal, Lucky Nkopane, said the school has been struggling to have speed bumps installed along the road, even though they have collected signatures from the community in support of traffic calming measures and talked to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality many times about it.
Mohlakoane and Nkopane praised the Brakpan SAPS for their support.
“They often come and ask if I have any problems with the drivers and how they can help me,” said Mohlakoane.
He has been teaching for 20 years and when asked if he would like to be a traffic officer, he shook his head and said that his passion is to teach children and to guide them.
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