VANDERBIJLPARK – The event titled Prevention of Gangsterism in Sedibeng Region is a national and provincial programme delivered by The Department of Social Development in eradicating bullying and gangs in school.
Parents and pupils heard thrilling advices from different stakeholders including South African Police Services, Correctional Services, Sedibeng Initiation Committee among other Non Governmental Organizations such as Nicro and Alpha Trauma Center.
Following the addresses at the event held at Emerald Hotel in Vanderbijlpark, parent were offered the opportunity to spill the beans on what may cause ill-discipline behaviors by their children.
While some emphasized on bad friends, many pointed the mushrooming initiation schools as the biggest problem.
Lydia Thekiso, a Grade 10 parent at Botebo-Tsebo Secondary shared a blow-by-blow testimonial on what brings problems in schools.
“I went to one of the shacks in the hood where these girls and boys were in night dresses and doing all sorts of wrong things. I took them and returned them to school and I am happy that they passed at the end of the year,” she said.
Thekiso told parents to be on the lookout of different tattoos on their children when they come back from initiation schools because tattoos are a sign of being affiliated in different gangsterism groups.
“I hate initiation schools. These kids come back and become useless. They come back with tattoos affiliated to gangs. Parents, tattoos speak and you are not aware. These kids are part of gangs and their tattoos said it all,” said.
Nomfundo Kamolane, Social Work Manager responsible for social crime prevention and gender-based violence programs said “the event came out successfully. We got 140 people and we took six pupils from different schools and all came with their parents”.
Different schools include secondary schools included Botebo Tsebo, Sizanani, Thuto Tiro, Tsolo, General Smuts and Moshate.
Spinaar Mofokeng Sedibeng Initiation Traditional Surgeons Committee said they working with schools to make sure they curb mushrooming gangsters in school.
