The Safer South Africa Foundation inducted 83 Hlanganani Secondary School learners as safety ambassadors after they successfully completed an intensive 12-day communities and justice programme.

The provincial co-ordinator of the foundation, Rev Gicks Moyane, said this brings the number of learners reached across Mpumalanga over the past five years to more than 8 000. Hlanganani Secondary is the 11th school in the province to participate in the initiative, and the third in the KaBokweni area.

The programme is designed to give young people a practical understanding of South Africa’s criminal justice system while helping them develop the skills and confidence to become active participants in safer schools and communities. It is also aimed at strengthening school safety, civic responsibility and youth leadership.

Throughout the course, the learners engaged directly with representatives from the KaBokweni police; the Department of Community Safety, Security and Liaison; the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA); the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court; the Barberton Correctional Centre and the Banking Association South Africa.

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According to Adv Antoinette Nkosi of the NPA, the learners were mostly interested in two aspects – the typical sentences for certain crimes and the different roles played by court officials, prompting career-related interest.

“The experiential learning component included a visit to the Mbombela Magistrate’s Court, where learners observed live proceedings and participated in a mock court exercise. They also visited the Barberton Correctional Centre, where they interacted with correctional officials and inmates to better understand the consequences of criminal behaviour,” she said.

In addition, the group received financial literacy training facilitated by Nedbank, covering responsible financial management, saving and informed decision-making.

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As part of the initiative’s next phase, the learners were required to submit essays on the topic, ‘What can learners do to stop crime in their community and school?’

Top-performing essays will be evaluated by stakeholders, with selected learners advancing to the Youth4SaferSouthAfrica Debate and Leadership Development Programme.