One hundred Grade 8 to 11 pupils from Joe Slovo High School were awarded by the Safer South Africa Foundation after they completed a crime prevention programme which took them to police stations, prisons and courts, with the purpose of showing them how the justice system works.
The pupils were addressed by CEO of Safer South Africa Foundation, Riah Phiyega, who is the former national police commissioner.
“You are our hope, and that is why we will do everything that is possible to ensure that this beautiful country of ours, its future, is with you. I want to thank everybody who has taken time to be part of this village,” said Ms Phiyega.
Safer South Africa Foundation was established in 2012 to focus on mobilising and building South Africa’s disadvantaged communities in an effort to strengthen the community’s ability to fight crime, and improve partnerships with police, correctional services and agencies responsible for road traffic safety.
Ms Phiyega said the strength of their programme lies with the partnerships they have with various sectors such as security clusters, the Human Rights Commission, banking associations and the Department of Basic Education.
“All our partners seek to reach out to youth in order for us to push for crime prevention.”
She said the Safer South Africa Foundation’s role is to prevent crime before it happens, as they get reports of hot spots schools from the police, as well as the Department of Education who tells them that there might be incidents of bullying and gangsterism in a particular school.
“It might be the magistrate telling us that there is a number of learners coming from this school, or the correctional services who tells us we see a number of learners coming from that area. It can even be members of the community who approach us and say can you come and help us. In this instance it’s the police who have identified this school as one of the schools that need help,” said Ms Phiyega.
She said they have worked with 15 schools in the Western Cape.
Grade 11 pupil Andisiwe Kapawu took part in the programme and also came first for her essay that she wrote.
“Ever since I started high school I never got an opportunity to be called and stand in front of other learners, I am happy with today’s outcome. The day makes me feel special, even the research that I was doing made me experience a lot of things about crime. Visiting Pollsmoor prison was an eye-opening experience, because the life they have there I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I don’t want to experience that life I saw there.”
