Due to continuing incidents of school violence in parts of the country, police in Tshilwavhusiku visited Swobani Secondary School in Madabani on 12 March as part of efforts to maintain a crime-free learning environment.
Swobani is believed to be one of the schools where substance abuse and gangsterism contribute to violence among learners. Police officers and private security personnel conducted a search operation aimed at detecting dagga, drugs, self-made weapons and other harmful objects.
The operation followed shortly after the school governing body (SGB) suspended a learner following a stabbing incident involving a 14-year-old Grade 8 pupil. On Tuesday, 10 March, the parents of both learners, together with the learners themselves, attended a meeting with the SGB, after which the alleged perpetrator was suspended for one week pending a disciplinary hearing.
During Thursday’s search operation, police thoroughly checked school bags for drugs, weapons, cellphones and other illegal substances.
Despite concerns about violence at the school, police reported that no illegal items were found during the search. The outcome surprised some officers, as the school has previously been associated with incidents involving dangerous weapons.
An educator at the school, who asked to remain anonymous, said some learners behave well in the morning but become aggressive later in the day. “Some learners are calm and respectful when they arrive at school while they are still sober. But once they become intoxicated during break time, they return to class as bullies,” the educator said. He added that learners who smoke drugs are more likely to become violent. “Even in education we believe that prevention is better than cure,” he said.