Africa-Press – Eswatini. Some schools in the city have taken a bold stand in fighting gangsterism, drug and alcohol abuse, following an increase in the number of pupils who join gangs.
In a move to fight this, Enhlanganisweni High School has deployed community police members at the school gate to search pupils when entering the school premises. This is part of the school’s strategy to eliminate drugs and weapons within the premises. The operation began when schools reopened for the first term in January, where the pupils and their bags were searched.
Smuggled
Marula brew was said to be commonly abused by the pupils, who smuggled it in juice bottles. This reporter visited the school yesterday morning, where one of the community police members, was found searching the pupils at the gate. The community police member was assisted by some learners believed to be prefects. In an interview with one of the community police members, Bongani Ntshalintshali, he said there were three of them who were responsible for the search at the school and they took turns. Ntshalintshali said in a most recent incident, a pupil chased another with a knife and he had to intervene. According to Ntshalintshali, the school took a stance to implement the search following the confiscation of weapons from pupils. He said a number of dangerous weapons were confiscated by the teachers last year, where a parents’ meeting was also held to find an amicable solution.
Ntshalintshali said collectively, it was resolved that a search should be implemented in the morning for all pupils. “Everyday, learners are searched before they enter the main gate,” said Ntshalintshali. He said they conducted schoolbags and body searches. He said the operation was working to their advantage and that they would be changing their strategy. The school’s Head teacher, Nomthantazo Tembe, said before the operation, they struggled with learners coming with drugs within the school premises and used them, something that affected learning.
Tembe said the marula brew was the most smuggled. “So far, we have recorded a clean flow in terms of the drugs, alcohol and weapons,” she said. Tembe said in the past, whenever the teachers confiscated anything, they would bring it to her attention.
The head teacher mentioned that they were motivated by the Inqaba Programme, known as Schools as Centres of Care and Support to start the operation. She said they were referred to Somnjalose High School, where the same programme was being implemented. Tembe said the programme was to ensure the safety and support of the teachers and learners. Meanwhile, Siphocosini Indvuna Yenkhundla, Wilton Mamba, said gangsterism was making other pupils’ lives unbearable. He stated that following a spate of gangsterism cases in the schools under the constituency, they decided to run crime prevention campaigns. Mamba said the objective of the campaign was to assist learners make the right decisions.
Weapons
He said pupils who referred to themselves as 26, benjamin and paras came with dangerous weapons to school, terrorising teachers and fellow learners and causing a reign of terror. Mamba said their motivation came after they were approached by the police and other stakeholders to conduct the campaigns jointly. This, he said, was after noting the statistics that were rampant of gangsterism cases at schools. “They proposed to conduct campaigns at Siphocosini, Mbabane West and East.” According to Mamba, the crime prevention campaign was supposed to be a once- off, but he was approached by a reforming gangster, who is currently working with them. He said the reforming gangster had pending cases with the police and they were using him as an ambassador.
For More News And Analysis About Eswatini Follow Africa-Press
