Knives, vapes and a fork seized in stop-and-search at troubled Gauteng school

Who carried out the operation

The department conducted the search together with the South African Police Service (SAPS), supported by Gauteng Traffic Police, traffic wardens, community policing forums (CPFs), patrollers and community members.

Police have confiscated weapons and drugs at a school in Khutsong, on the West Rand, following an unannounced visit by Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile this morning.

Badirile Secondary School is believed to be one of the province’s most troubled schools. #SchoolsViolence pic.twitter.com/9jXIiVZMDa

Jacaranda FM Newswatch (@JacaNewswatch) August 4, 2026

Why the operation was held

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile said the department had spent the past three months engaging with stakeholders and had received numerous complaints about violence and crime in schools. He described Badirile as “one of the province’s most troubled schools” and cited learners who threaten teachers, involvement in gangsterism, learners not attending classes and a murder at the school earlier this year.

“One of the short-term measures, which forms part of our health and safety strategy, is conducting regular searches with the police, sometimes with the media present and sometimes without,” Maile said.

🚔 WORKING TOGETHER FOR SAFER SCHOOLS

Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, @LebogangMaile1, joined @SAPoliceService and other law enforcement partners at Badirile Secondary School in Khutsong for today’s SAPS-led School Search and Seizure Operation to… pic.twitter.com/hdIjLFpG5q

Gauteng Department of Education (@EducationGP1) August 4, 2026

School leadership, discipline and next steps

Maile said the absence of a permanent principal had contributed to the school’s problems and that he had instructed the district to appoint an acting principal while recruiting a permanent head. He directed the district director to meet with educators, introduce the acting principal and meet the school governing body.

Parents of learners implicated in disciplinary matters were instructed to report to the school, Maile said, adding that some suspended learners had torn up their suspension letters. He highlighted the case of an 18-year-old Grade 9 learner who, he said, attended only to eat the school meal and had no entries in his books.

Maile said the operation would not be a once-off intervention and that he had agreed with police on follow-up action, though he declined to discuss those plans publicly. He also said he would conduct similar unannounced operations at other schools across the province.

Items confiscated

Items seized from learners during the operation included knives, a fork, scissors and vapes.

According to IOL, these details and comments were reported following the operation at Badirile Secondary School.