CAPE TOWN, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The South African government vowed on Wednesday to curb rising violence at schools across the country.
The recent increase of serious violence at schools, particularly learner-on-learner violence has caused deep concern, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) said.
In the past week, South Africans were shocked by a series of rising school campus violence. In one accident, an 18-year-old learner was killed at Forest Hill High School south of Johannesburg in a fight between two groups at the school and other two learners were fatally stabbed at the same school.
"This is a challenge that affects all of our society and coincides with the commemoration of the annual Child Protection Week Campaign, currently underway in South Africa," MSD spokesperson Lumka Oliphant said.
The incident that took place at Forest Hill High School highlights the need for key sectors around the country to work together to build a more protective environment for children, starting at family and community levels, the spokesperson said.
As part of implementing both the Children's Act and the Child Justice Act, the minisry has developed a policy framework on the accreditation of diversion programs and service providers, which seek to give child offenders a second chance by preventing them from having a criminal record and to address the root causes for criminal behavior.
Currently, the ministry has established 31 secure care centers with a bed space of 2,296 across all nine provinces. As of the end of March this year, 23,918 child offenders were assessed, 10,515 diverted and 3,039 placed under home-based supervision.
The ministry has also developed an anti-gangsterism strategy which is multi-sectorial in nature and contributes towards crime prevention.
