Maile said the discovery of bullets, knives, and other potentially dangerous objects required decisive action.
Illegal weapons and substances seized at schools. Picture: GDE
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has called for students found with illegal weapons or substances at schools to face criminal charges after more than 109 prohibited items were seized during an unannounced search operation at three Alexandra high schools on Wednesday.
The South African Police Service-led operation targeted East Bank High School, Realogile High School, and Alexandra High School as part of efforts to tackle drugs, dangerous weapons, and other prohibited items in Gauteng schools.
Speaking on the sidelines of the operation at East Bank High School, Maile raised concerns about discipline and leadership at the school.
‘They must be arrested’
Maile said the discovery of bullets, knives, and other potentially dangerous objects required decisive action.
“They must be arrested. They are going to be charged. You can’t have bullets, knives, and any other illegal object or substance in the school.”
Maile said he had instructed the principal to provide a report identifying students linked to the seized items and outlining what action would be taken.
He also said the school should open criminal cases where necessary, while disciplinary matters would be dealt with through the appropriate processes.
At East Bank High School, about 40 items were seized, including eight disposable vapes, cigarettes, three suspected dagga joints, grinders, eight sachets containing a green leafy substance suspected to be dagga, scissors, folding knives or multi-tools and glass shards.
Discipline concerns
Maile also criticised the level of discipline at East Bank High School, saying he found staff members in the staff room during school hours while students were outside classrooms.
“There’s a problem of discipline in this school. There’s a problem of leadership. There is no discipline. And that’s why it’s not surprising that you’ve got these things that we have found through this search and seizure operation,” Maile said.
The MEC said the department would continue with unannounced searches to reinforce discipline and protect schools as places of teaching and learning.
More than 109 items seized
At Realogile High School, more than 41 items were seized, including seven disposable vapes, glass or mirror shards, scissors, and matchboxes. More than 20 muffins or cupcakes were also recovered and will be inspected to determine whether they contain prohibited substances.
At Alexandra High School, police seized 28 items, including disposable vapes, sachets containing substances suspected to be dagga, matchboxes, broken glass, a folding multi-tool containing a knife and pliers, a spanner and an improvised metal tool.
Across the three schools, authorities seized 14 sachets containing substances suspected to be dagga and three suspected dagga joints, alongside knives, tools, glass shards, scissors, vapes, cigarettes, matchboxes and grinders.
Maile said the operation formed part of broader efforts to combat substance abuse, violence, gangsterism and dangerous weapons in schools.
“We have to instil discipline in our schools. There has to be a respect for schools, because these are places of learning and teaching,” he said.
The MEC also linked the problems at East Bank High School to wider social challenges, noting that the school had previously experienced incidents in which students allegedly damaged and burned furniture.
He said the department would engage parents, students, and teachers and introduce targeted interventions to improve academic performance.
Maile said East Bank recorded an 83% pass rate last year but had dropped to about 60% in its mid-year assessment, raising concerns about whether it would maintain its previous performance.
He said the department would continue working with the SA Police Service, parents, school governing bodies and communities to ensure schools remain safe.
