FOR the benefit of the nation’s future, with the aim of reducing crime, empowering the youth and building trust between communities and the country’s criminal justice system, the Safer South Africa Foundation continued with this mandate, this time at Pinetown Boys High School.

Welcoming the foundation, its CEO, retired General Riah Phiyega, KZN co-ordinator, retired Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni, among others, including its stakeholders, the school’s deputy principal Marvin Abrahams said it is hoped that the programme’s run at the school “will prove beneficial”.

Abrahams was speaking at the Safer South Africa’s Communities and Justice Programme Awards ceremony at the school on Thursday, February 12, where he thanked Ngobeni for adopting Pinetown Boys High and initiating the foundation’s programme.

“We hope that the school will be placed in a better position by being adopted into this programme,” said Abrahams.

In her address, Phiyega said neglecting the youth will be detrimental to the country’s future and called for the creation of an “ecosystem” that would foster an “enabling environment” for young people to grow to become “responsible citizens and leaders”.

“That village should be made up of parents, schools and all stakeholders who should contribute to the toolkit that makes our young the leaders of tomorrow,” said Phiyega.

Phiyega said it is unfortunate to note that so many young people are behind bars and that this should serve as a reminder that they should be empowered so that they have “a whole buffet of choices” because “no child is born a criminal”.

She urged the community, security cluster, and other stakeholders to work collectively in the fight against crime.

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KZN secretary of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), one of the foundation’s stakeholders, Nthabeleng Molefe, said it is crucial that children are taught at a young age not to become criminals because crime destroys their futures.

“Our vision is to ensure we support communities in crime prevention efforts,” said Molefe about working with the foundation.

Representing the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), another stakeholder, Advocate Phuti Meso, said the Pinetown Boys High’s learners’ experience at court, which was part of the foundation’s programme, was meant to sensitise them about the consequences of crime.

“There is no clever person in prison apart from the prison warders,” Meso cautioned the learners.

The school’s chair of the representative council of learners (RCL), Phiwayinkosi Thusi, said the programme left a lasting impression on the learners who are grateful for the experience.

The grade 12 learner said the experience at the prison was “deeply sobering” because important lessons were gleaned from it.

Speaking on behalf of the parents, Sinawo Gumede expressed her gratitude towards the foundation and hoped the initiative has “planted seeds which will have a long lasting impact on our boys”.

“You need to determine the future you want for yourself,” was Gumede’s advice to the learners.

The school was selected by the Pinetown SAPS social crime prevention unit. At the awards, the station was represented by its acting station commander Colonel Ronnie Heeralall, Sergeant Sboniso Shezi and its communications officer Jennifer Naidu.

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