Basic Education Minister, Mrs Angie Motshekga, addressed the Pefferville community in East London this week. Minister Motshekga, accompanied by the Executive Mayor of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, Councillor Princess Faku, launched the National Inclusive Safer Schools Partnership (NISSP) with the German Development Agency, known as GIZ, at Pefferville Primary School in the Eastern Cape Province on 16 August 2023. “The promotion of school safety in communities will be effectively implemented if it is done within the context of the District Development Model (DDM),” she said.  The launch was considered in response to an outcry of the Pefferville community after rising cases of crime and school vandalism. In her response to crime and social ills in communities, Cllr Faku took a keen interest to work with the Basic Education Sector in creating safer learning environments in several school communities in her Metro. This paved the way for the Department of Basic Education to forge a partnership with GIZ to strengthen school safety across all nine provinces.

GIZ has been working in South Africa since 1995 and established an office in Pretoria in 1996. In this partnership period, GIZ has supported the Government of South Africa on a number of projects focusing on key areas of cooperation. One of the programmes is the Inclusive Violence and Crime Prevention Programme. GIZ is working to make South Africa safer by supporting measures to prevent violence with a particular focus on Gender-Based Violence. It is envisaged that the school-based interventions can prevent the experiences of violence and gender-based violence within schools and communities in homes, peer spaces, physical and virtual spaces; as well as positively influence communities that experience high levels of violence.

During her address, the Executive Mayor requested  the Minister to consider allocating funds to improve learning conditions at the Pefferville Primary School since it has fallen prey to criminals over the years. The Mayor pointed out that the school has been severely vandalised and it places the lives of the learners at risk. The Mayor further pledged her support that the Municipality will work closely with law authorities to bring to book those behind school vandalism. “Our resolve is to create an atmosphere where the pursuit of knowledge is unhindered by a fear of insecurity.  Our goal is to transform schools into sanctuaries of care, where children can learn and grow without the shadow of violence," said the Mayor. Minister Motshekga confirmed that the DBE will work with the province to allocate the required funds to rebuild the school. However, Minister Motshekga called upon members of the community to safeguard schools as a means to restore the dignity of education for the younger generation. “When school assets are vandalised and children’s rights violated by abuse and violence, it raises a lot of questions about the values of communities in which the schools are located,” added Mr Likho Bottoman, Director: Social Cohesion and Equity in Education from the DBE.

Minister Motshekga said that primary prevention programmes implemented in schools offer resources and support structures to learners and school-communities. “The programmes can help guide learners that may be exposed to or experiencing violence, to find coping skills, positive behavioural support and peer-to-peer education. Such programmes can represent safe spaces for children to disclose experiences of violence, develop leadership skills, change at-risk behaviours and improve their overall resilience. Government is working with all sectors and all partners to rebuild community safety and restore widespread peaceful coexistence and social inclusion. Minister Motshekga cited the Anti-Bullying Campaign launched by the Basic Education Sector during 2022. The Anti-Bullying Campaign has gathered momentum and in 2023 will also advocate for school community partnerships to end corporal punishment, gender-based violence, drug and alcohol abuse and early unintended pregnancy.