Parents fear gangsters jumping over Bishop Lavis school's fence, selling drugs

Share this article: Share Tweet Share Share Share Email Share

Cape Town – Parents of pupils at John Ramsay High School in Bishop Lavis say they fear for the lives of their children after gangsters jumped over the school fence earlier this year and stabbed a pupil. School governing body chairperson Barbara Niewoudt said the school had been identified as high-risk by the Western Cape Department of Education (WCED) because of violent incidents on the premises. “On the first day of school, a Grade 9 pupil was stabbed by two guys who jumped over the fence and got on to the school grounds. "These gangsters stand by the fence and drugs to our pupils during break times. Sometimes they even jump the fence to do so. “After the stabbing incident, which the police are aware of, not a single officer was deployed to the school,” she said.

Niewoudt said that school staff members had had to help police chase perpetrators off the school grounds.

“There were perpetrators carrying guns on the school grounds, and the caretakers had to help law enforcement to chase these guys away, putting their lives at risk,” she said.

WCED spokesperson Bronagh Hammond said the stabbing was reported to the police, and trauma debriefings were offered to those affected at the school.

“It is extremely sad and concerning that an incident of this nature happened on the first day of school. It’s a sad reminder of the challenges we face with security at schools, when activities outside of school can sometimes spill over into the school environment,” she said.

Hammond said allegations about the selling of drugs would have to be reported to the department’s safe schools directorate, which would then advise on appropriate measures.

Police spokesperson Noloyiso Rwexana said the Community Policing Forum, the school principal and law enforcement had met to discuss safety at the school.

“The SAPS will conduct crime prevention operations that will include searches and crime awareness to curb crime at the school,” Rwexana said.

Pupil and teacher safety recently came under the spotlight when a joint sitting of the National Assembly’s committees on basic education and police met to hear a report on violence in schools.

Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga told MPs that bullying remained a major challenge as it most often occurred in the classroom, generally in the absence of a teacher.

Motshekga said that the department’s main problem was pupil-on-pupil violence, which also took place inside the classroom.

Cape Times