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SECURITY: Patrollers who were trained by the SAPS in partnership with the Gauteng department of education to ensure safety at high risk schools. PHOTO: VATHISWA RUSELO

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About 1500 schools that could not provide security on their own were identified last year after consultation with stakeholders.

The School Patroller Programme, which is aimed at giving teachers more time to teach without worrying about their safety and that of the pupils, was launched yesterday at Dikgabane Primary School in Tshiawelo, Soweto.

"We have discovered that we are no longer safe, even in groups," MEC for community safety Nonhlanhla Mazibuko said.

Mazibuko was referring to an incident in which a 17-year-old Florida High School pupil, Louise de Waal, was kidnapped at gunpoint while walking to school with a friend in Roodepoort last week.

She said police from nearby police stations would help patrollers with manpower and other resources.

"We decided that instead of spending millions of rand on alarm systems, we should have men and women from the community patrolling near the school," she said.

Mazibuko said about 1,500 trained patrollers started working last month. They provide security at under-performing, no-fee and high-risk schools. Each school had a maximum of six patrollers.

Patrollers would search cars and visitors entering the school premises, and from time to time search pupils for weapons, drugs and other illegal items.

The patrollers would be divided into two groups, with each group working 15 days a month and receiving a monthly salary of R1,500.

MEC for education Barbara Creecy said all patrollers had been screened by the department of community safety.

"We have a situation in which teachers are under threat and learners don't feel safe because of robberies. As a result of this programme, our learners and employees should feel safe arriving and leaving our schools," she said.

Creecy said patrollers would be supplied with two-way radios, metal detectors and other equipment that would be connected to a police vehicle in case they needed back up.

Patroller Joseph Mogotsi, 53, said: "The R1500 salary is a bonus. I started working as a patroller in 2000. I was not paid but I did it for the safety of my people".

Comments

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Tue May 21 18:35:58 SAST 2013 ::

Oct 21, 2011

MOTHUBANNYO

I really find DISGUSTING that now this is happening in predominantly WHITE schools now the education department has deployed patrollers to safeguard pupils and teachers.
I mean it's not like this is new
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Oct 21, 2011

Papage

Yah Neh! "Setlhare sa Mosotho ke Lekgowa" if you want action from this government just do harm to a white person, you will see enovative ideas and emplematation with emmiate effect, what a country, we are leaving in, are we all equal? I saw old people made to train as securities for school children, very old, how are they going to run after this monsters? insteat of getting young, jobles man and train as secuties to protect our kids, you go get old topies, come on people or you gave someone you know a tender withought following correct tender process? Some people are lucky.
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Oct 21, 2011

dre10

they will provide learners with Daggaa and alcohol these people. I saw them on TV and they looked like drunkands.
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Oct 21, 2011

Decibels

Yeah right township schools have been victims of thuggery for ages, a 14 yr old was gang-raped eMndeni a few years ago we never saw action from the Department and now that something happened at Die Burger the Department of Education is launching a programme...VOESEK
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Oct 21, 2011

Majooooro!!

@dre10!
"I saw them on TV and they looked like drunkands"

ha!haaaaa!ha! this makes me laugh.in the beggining it will be seen like a good campaing however when time goes i think you will be correct Dre10.

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Oct 21, 2011

KatakataEmaotoAditshepe

@Nonhlanhla Mazibuko

Our fathers,mothers,brothers and sisters were doing the same task without any payment they get paid today because whities are killed too.
O re tlwaela hampe.
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Oct 21, 2011

Maphatlhola

Maybe it's an opportunity for the pat-rollers to go back to [White]school
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Oct 21, 2011

Ramalekelle

Guys can we please appreciate a good effort when is done. Wether its a white or black girl who has been murderd is a cause of grave corncen, so i dont see a point of being racial about this.

Big Up to Gauteng department of education.
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Oct 21, 2011

Kaylae

As long as they don't rape our kids,then I am fine.Sowetan did that school security guard from Limpopo been jailed yet?
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Oct 21, 2011

greeneyes

This is good news safety of our kidz come first....
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