The MEC for Transport and Community Safety, Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya, urged the pupils of Tshiawelo High in Vleifontein to take their studies seriously and not to engage in unbecoming behaviour such as abusing alcohol and drugs and bullying at school.
Lerule-Ramakhanya paid a visit to the school on 23 June to hand out dignity packs, which included school bags, sanitary towels, and school shoes, to needy pupils.
The MEC said that the government would fight bullying in schools and put an end to this problem, so that learners could concentrate on their education. "We will not tolerate bullying in our schools in the province. It disrupts learning and teaching. If you see a learner bully another learner, it must be reported to the teachers immediately," she warned. "Don't talk to another learner in an abusive way, because he or she is a human being like yourself. He or she might be from a poor family. Always treat others with dignity. We understand that some learners are from rich families, but it doesn't make them superior to others."
Lerule-Ramakhanya said she was very disturbed by the fact that pupils no longer took their education seriously and involved themselves in unproductive behaviour that only distracted them from their studies. "Please take education as your future, and do not rush into things like sex, because what you will get is diseases and unplanned children," she said.
The Vhembe SAPS Commissioner, Major-General Eddie van der Walt, said that drugs had a devastating effect on pupils, who ended up losing focus on their schoolwork and becoming drop-outs. "Respect your educators and focus on your education, as it is your only passport to a brighter future," he said. "No brain can function properly if it is saturated with alcohol or drugs. We don't want to wait until our children harm or kill one another in schools," he said.
Van der Walt warned the learners that selling drugs at schools is a criminal offence. "It does not matter who you are or where you do it; you will be arrested. We will make no exception, because tomorrow you might hurt or kill someone," he said.