The spike of recent school burglaries has school principals in the Elsies River area up in arms. This comes after two schools in Clarke Estate reported vandalism and break-ins on their premises.
Inspire News Network (INN), interviewed two of the principals in the area regarding the several break-ins that occurred at the school. Principal of Holy Trinity Roman Catholic Primary School Mynard Moheng says that their feeding scheme project was vandalized and robbed of their food supplies and electrical items during the last weekend of February 2024.
The items that provide two daily meals for Grade 1 to Grade 7 learners, was kept in storage in the staff room as safe keeping, this after its feeding schemes original holding area was previously burgled as well as copper cables were taken.
Moheng says that they take everything, they take all the circuit breakers, the thieves cut all the wires at the back of the circuit breakers. The main cable that comes for the street that connect to the metre box, the vandals cut the cable from the meter box until the ground. He says that they were without power for four days.
Next to the Holy Trinity Primary School, situated on Saint Dominic Road in Clarke Estate is the all-girls school, Marion High Roman Catholic School that is attended by Grade 8 to Grade 12 scholars.
In an exclusive Principal Winston Morgan says that his school was not spared by the vandals. This is after their electrical infrastructure was also vandalized and they were left without electricity during the same burglary.
Morgan explains the effect it has on the school, on a daily basis they worry about their safety and the functional on-site security system for their school. He says that the vandals have broken into the school twice over the last weekend in February. But they have broken into us a couple of times this year. In 2023 they broke into the school four times.
When they broke in they took everything. They left nothing behind. He says that the community can play a bigger role, but how much can they do. They may be putting themselves in danger. He is encouraging the community to play a bigger role in the protection of the schools, but he does not know if that will happen.
On Wednesday the 6 March South Africans will see the petrol price rise by R1.21 per litre. Diesel will increase R1.06c and R1.19c respectively. All petrol will cost you more that R21 per litre.
- a litre of 95 Unleaded will cost you R23.73 at the coast
- R24.45 in the inland regions
- 93 Unleaded will rise to R24.13
- diesel will increase to R21.91 at the coast
- and will cost you R22.62 inland
As a result of higher international oil prices and they say that these higher product prices is a result of Middle Eastern conflict and OPEC production cuts. This year the Budget Speech did not increase levies that affect the fuel prices in South Africa. The General Fuel Levy and Road Accident Fund levy directly affects these prices.
South Africa’s Joseph Movement helps to reduce, expose and prevent Modern-Day Slavery, Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation. They create awareness through online & direct education. This education includes preventative awareness, victim identification, pornography addiction, events and outreaches. Founder Managing Director of the organisation Tershia de Klerk wants their events to restore hope, support the vulnerable and expose the truth of Human Trafficking and Modern-Day Slavery.
De Klerk says that that as a response to the safety of our South African children. The reality is that our children have been victims of human trafficking and abductions for many years. It is only recently that the media and social media have actually being paying more attention. Our children need not think or act like adults. Do you teach and train them the red flags to look out for. There is a wealth of information and a network of NGO's that can provide you with talks and workshops.
They do need the adults around them and to be more involved in their social lives, whether online or in person. Many perpetrators are active on social media and they find their victims there. You need to monitor who you allow around your children. Who do we allow alone with your children. She asks if you are involved in their online activities.
The Joseph Movements involves and invites organisations and professionals to assist on various levels to contribute their skills to change the narrative for the people of South Africa. They engage with people from education, extraction, counselling, assisting victims with skills development and integrating them back to become part of society. Their vision and goal is to eliminate human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
De Klerk explains that most perpetrators are either family members or family friends. Therefore prevention starts at home.
