Gauteng education MEC leads sweep of six Vaal schools, 123 prohibited items seized

Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile joined police-led search-and-seizure operations at six schools in the Vaal on September 2, recovering a total of 123 prohibited items as part of the province’s ongoing school safety campaign.

What happened during the sweep

The unannounced visits involved searches of school bags and cupboards at schools across the region. The six schools targeted were:

• Sehopotso Secondary (Sebokeng)
• BoteboTsebo Secondary (Sebokeng)
• Residensia Secondary (Vanderbijlpark)
• Sapphire Secondary (Bophelong)
• Mahareng Secondary (Sharpeville)
• Lekoa Shandu Secondary (Sharpeville)

Items recovered

Officials reported that the operation recovered 123 prohibited items. The breakdown included:

• 43 disposable vapes
• 29 pairs of scissors
• 4 knives
• 10 broken mirrors
• 5 boxes of matches
• 30 items containing oil spice
• a mathematics instrument
• a space cookie

Why the operations are continuing

The sweep in the Vaal forms part of a wider campaign; the number of schools searched in the province has now reached 23. Speaking at Sapphire Secondary School, Maile said the findings showed why regular operations were necessary.

“We cannot afford to allow our schools to become spaces where prohibited substances, dangerous objects and other harmful items are allowed to circulate,”

Maile said keeping schools safe requires collaboration among parents, schools, communities, law enforcement and government. The operations form part of the department’s “It takes a village to raise a child” programme, which the department says promotes shared responsibility for learner safety and wellbeing.

Officials’ stated goal

According to Maile, the ultimate aim of the campaign is to make schools places where learners can concentrate on their education without fear or harmful distractions.