Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile has warned that searches and security operations at schools in the Westbury area will continue as part of a broader campaign to stop criminal activity from spilling into places of learning.
Police-led searches uncover drugs and weapons
SAPS-led searches on Friday at schools in and around Westbury resulted in the confiscation of vapes, suspected dagga, smoking substances, knives, a knuckle duster, suspected pills and a bottle of Sprite allegedly mixed with codeine — commonly known as “lean”.
The crackdown follows a recent wave of violent incidents in the area, including a shooting this week in which five young people were reportedly shot; three died and two were critically injured. The department confirmed one of the victims was a learner at R.W. Fick Secondary School.
“We will be doing this regularly, and we will be planning a huge one where we will be going to multiple schools at the same time,”
Maile said the searches form part of a wider intervention aimed at ensuring schools are safe havens where learners can focus on education without fearing violence or criminal activity.
Short-term policing and longer-term safeguards
The MEC emphasised visible and consistent law enforcement at schools, saying communities must know police can conduct searches when necessary. He also outlined longer-term security solutions the province is pursuing:
- Access control at school entrances;
- Installation of surveillance cameras;
- Funding of school patrollers;
- Deployment of traffic wardens in particularly vulnerable areas.
Gauteng Education confirmed that more than 600 schools in the province have already been fitted with cameras and that the department is funding additional security measures in high-risk neighbourhoods.
Impact on learners and communities
Parents and teachers in Westbury expressed relief that authorities are taking action, but also concern that ongoing violence could traumatically affect learners and disrupt the school year. Educators in affected schools have reported heightened anxiety among pupils and increased absenteeism since the shootings.
School principals say practical problems remain: perimeter fencing is often damaged or incomplete, and some schools lack sufficient administrative staff to manage access control during peak times. Where camera systems have been installed, maintenance and reliable internet or power to operate them remain challenges in a few cases.
What the province is doing next
Beyond intensified searches, the department said it will co‑ordinate with SAPS and other stakeholders to:
- Plan a multi-school operation to sweep several institutions simultaneously;
- Review existing security infrastructure and prioritise repairs and upgrades;
- Expand the school patroller programme to additional schools in high-risk zones;
- Engage community policing forums and local NGOs to provide after‑school support and safe spaces for learners.
Maile stressed that the ultimate goal is prevention: keeping contraband out of schools and disrupting recruitment by criminal networks that target children.
Items seized in recent Westbury operations
| Item | Reported |
|---|---|
| Vapes | Confiscated |
| Suspected dagga and other smoking substances | Confiscated |
| Knives | Confiscated |
| Knuckle duster | Confiscated |
| Suspected pills | Confiscated |
| Bottle alleged to contain codeine mix (“lean”) | Confiscated |
School safety experts say regular, intelligence‑led searches combined with psychosocial support for learners produce the best results. However, unions and civil society groups frequently caution that heavy-handed policing without clear protocols can erode trust between learners and school staff, and may criminalise children who need care rather than punishment.
The Gauteng Education Department said it will continue to work with SAPS and other partners to refine search protocols and ensure the rights of learners are respected while safeguarding schools.
Parents in Westbury and nearby communities have been urged to remain vigilant, report suspicious activity to their local police precincts and to work with schools to develop home‑to‑school safety plans. The department also called on community members to support learners affected by the recent shootings.
As operations continue, the province faces the twin challenges of tackling organised criminal activity that reaches young people, while strengthening the protective infrastructure around schools so classrooms remain places of learning.
