KwaZulu-Natal school safety programme launched to improve security

The KwaZulu-Natal School Safety Programme, aimed at enhancing safety and security in hotspot schools in the province, has been launched in Durban.

KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli launched the programme on Thursday morning alongside acting Education MEC Thembeni kaMadlopha-Mthethwa, eThekwini Municipality Deputy Mayor Zandile Myeni and Brigadier Cynthia Ngubane, representing the provincial police commissioner. 

“Since January 2024, our province has recorded more than 2,300 incidents of sexual harassment, violence, theft, gang activity, drug abuse, and faction fighting in schools. These are not just statistics. They are broken lives, interrupted education, and communities in distress. We cannot and will not stand by,” Ntuli said. 

“We have lost four educators, who were killed in 2024.” 

Ntuli said the comprehensive, youth-led programme will: 

• Recruit and capacitate Student Ambassadors to champion safety, dignity, and accountability in every school.
• Empower young leaders to drive conversations on gender-based violence, bullying, drug abuse, and other risks, while creating confidential reporting channels for learners.
• Strengthen security infrastructure, including installing CCTV cameras in 20 schools across King Cetshwayo, eThekwini, and Amajuba districts.
• Integrate arts, culture, and sport—from poetry to debates—as tools for prevention, awareness, and positive social messaging.

“There are almost 60 schools that we’re planning to have installed with cameras,” Ntuli said.

“Our timeline is the next two financial years to have schools have these high technology CCTV cameras.”

Ntuli said that this financial year, the Department of Safety and Liaison will spend R1 million to install the cameras. However, due to budget constraints, for now, they will focus on problematic schools as identified by the education department.

“Our goal is clear: to foster a culture of safety, non-violence, and mutual respect; to empower learners as ambassadors of peace; and to give parents and educators the confidence that schools remain true havens of growth,” Ntuli said. 

The programme was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) among the Departments of Community Safety and Liaison, Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, and the South African Police Service.

“Through this MoU, we commit to mobilising resources and institutional support to make school safety a lived reality,” Ntuli said. 

Ntuli said they would extend the collaboration to other sectors. 

“The scouts also did not sign today (Thursday). The role of the scouts, if you know the scouts, they are good at instilling discipline, especially helping with the leadership role of the learners. We will be working with them so that they will assist us in providing information on life skills to the learners,”  Ntuli said. 

He added that school safety is a collective responsibility, that communities must guard against vandalism and crime and parents must remain present and guide their children. 

“Learners, your voices matter—your leadership matters. You are not only beneficiaries of this programme; you are its champions,” Ntuli said. 

“The safety of our children is non-negotiable… No child in KwaZulu-Natal should ever fear walking into a classroom, and no parent should fear sending their child to school.” 

KaMadlopha-Mthethwa said that within KZN, every school has a safety committee that includes various stakeholders. Each school is also assigned a SAPS member, and these committees are expected to hold regular meetings.

“Previously, it was not done as we need it to be done, but with the Premier, we are seeing a change. The police are now actively involved in most of the activities that are taking place within the schools," kaMadlopha-Mthethwa said.

Brigadier Ngubane, highlighted that in June, the Police Minister launched the five-year initiative, which was the collaboration between police and the Department of Basic Education to enhance the school safety protocol implementation that is in place. 

She said they are prioritising identified provincial schools with high incident rates from the last financial year while not neglecting other schools.

thobeka.ngema@inl.co.za