Due to the continuing spate of incidents of school violence in certain parts of the country that is getting out of hand, the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS recently visited Maneledzi Secondary School as a way of maintaining a crime-free learning area.

Manaledzi is believed to be one of the schools where drugs and other substances such as dagga are said to be the reason for violence in the school. Members of Tshilwavhusiku SAPS team embarked in a searching spree at the school with the aim of detecting dagga, drugs, self-made weapons and several other harmful objects.

The Tshilwavhusiku team was led by Capt NG Rammbuda, the crime-prevention commander, and Insp Ratshilumela Ndadza of the social crime prevention unit. The police only alerted the principal of the visit, but learners were not notified of the visit, so that they could not hide their weapons before police arrived at the school.

The police rigorously searched for dagga, weapons and illegal substances. Learners were told to take their school bags and to stand against the wall on the veranda, with their hands up, with their shoes off. Girls were searched by female police officers inside classrooms. After the search at Manaledzi, the police could not believe that they had found nothing from the "notorious" learners from the school situated at Tshiozwi village, which is said to have the most feared and dangerous learners in the area. It was at this school where sharp self-made pangas were taken by teachers from certain students during the previous academic years.

According to the principal, Mr George Mathivha, some students at the school are kind and gentle in the morning when there are still sober. He said that once such learners became intoxicated during the short break, they became bullies when they returned to class. Mathivha acknowledged that "learners who smoke dagga are more prone to violence. So even in education, we strongly believe that prevention is better than cure."

Capt Rammbuda, who led the raid, said that they were delighted by their not finding things that constitute criminal activities at the school. "We are of the view that the raiding of schools will drastically reduce the involvement of young people in various criminal activities. We also wanted to show learners that it is our responsibility to fight crime at their schools. Our holding cells are overcrowded with young people. We want to prevent what is happening in certain areas through crime-awareness campaigns and surprise school visits," he said.

Rambuda added that this awareness campaign will continue through the whole year in all the schools around the communities in which the station serves. "What we are requesting from the school officials and principals is cooperation. Other schools that are facing similar criminal problems at their schools are free to contact us any time. Our operational plan of 2008 includes all schools in the area. We want to create a crime-free environment at schools. Learners that will be found with dangerous weapons at schools will be charged and locked in the cells," he emphasized.

Insp Ratshilumela Ndadza, who is responsible for social crime prevention at the Tshilwavhusiku SAPS, added that, apart from raiding the schools, they also conduct crime-awareness campaigns at schools within their policing area. He said that during the campaign, they encourage learners not to bring dangerous weapons to school. "We also want to urge parents to keep a close eye on their children’s behaviour. We know that the dagga that is brought to the schools comes from certain members of the community and we would like to warn such people to refrain from involving our young people in illegal things for their own personal gain," he said.