The Annual Schools Safety Cycle Awareness Tour conducted by the South African Police Service in the Sedibeng District, in partnership with various stakeholders, was a resounding success. The tour took place from March 2 to 6 and visited several schools across the Midvaal Local Municipality.
The tour visited schools including Meyerton High, Rusoord Secondary, Assemblies of God, Tshepong High, and New Hope High. The tour is an intensified campaign that aims to educate pupils about Gender-based Violence and Femicide, teenage pregnancy, gangsterism, substance abuse, bullying, and issues relating to rape.
The objective of this groundbreaking campaign is to address the scourge of crime and pressing social problems affecting schools. The event boasted speakers from various backgrounds, including recovering drug addicts who relayed stories about their journey to becoming clean.
Speakers from various entities urged pupils enjoy their childhood and not want to do things that are far beyond their age.
“Enjoy your youth and stop doing things today that will ruin your futures tomorrow. Don’t drink alcohol, do drugs, or engage in sexual activities that will turn you into a parent while you are still young and have your entire future ahead of you.”
A presentation by an inmate who did not want to be named left students highly emotional. As the prisoner relayed the story of how he destroyed his own future by getting involved in crime at a tender age, completely ruining any hopes his parents and community had for him, pupils became emotional, sympathising with him.
Speaking about the event, police spokesperson Constable Mampho Mahlomola says, “By forging synergistic partnerships with diverse stakeholders possessing specialised expertise, we play a pivotal role in shaping the lives of our youth and redirecting those who may have strayed from the path.
“Learners were taught about matters such as substance abuse, the importance of abstaining, teenage pregnancy, and many more. Various stakeholders were afforded the opportunity to address the school learners, imparting invaluable insights and knowledge on a range of critical issues aligned with their respective domains.”
Meyerton police spokesperson Constable Nompumelelo Zazini called the tour a triumph, thanking all stakeholders for imparting knowledge to high school kids.
