The Springs SAPS, in collaboration with local school leadership, conducted a safety operation along 5th Avenue in the Springs CBD on February 10 to address growing concerns around learner safety in the area.
According to police spokesperson Sergeant Charity Zwane, the operation followed complaints from schools and community members about learners being dropped off along the road instead of at school gates.
She said this has resulted in learners loitering in nearby streets in the mornings, where some allegedly consume illegal substances and, in certain cases, display violent behaviour.
Pioneer Park’s principal, Gcina Nkutha, recalled a recent incident in which learners were involved in a violent altercation.
“Learners from different schools were recently involved in a massive fight. Another concern is the alarming number of learners who come to school late,” she said.
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Nkutha, Zwane, and SGB chairperson Khomotso Madume were present at the operation to ensure learners went straight to school after being dropped off by scholar transport.
Nkutha urged parents to ensure their children use scholar transport services that drop them off directly at their respective school gates. Zwane elaborated more on the purpose of the operation and how it went.
“We want to prevent criminal activities such as robbery, bullying and drug-related offences and to ensure that learners are not loitering in the area. Our main goal is to maintain a visible presence to prevent this,” she said.
Madume said the SGB takes the responsibility seriously of instilling discipline and ensuring that learners are safe.
“We have started to work with the councillor of the area, Charmaine Kok, who said she will be assisting us,” she said.
She encouraged the Springs Taxi Association to collaborate with them to ensure learners’ safety is prioritised.
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