![SAPS addressing students on a School Safety Awareness drive on 8 March 2023. [Orange Farm News]](https://www.thepostnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SAPS-and-DBE-School-Safety.jpg)
SAPS addressing students on a School Safety Awareness drive on 8 March 2023. [Orange Farm News]
The South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Basic Education (DBE) have officially announced their renewed collaborative implementation protocol aimed at improving school safety. The measures are designed to address the growing violence and criminal activity affecting learners across South African schools.
On Monday, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube announced via X that the official signing and launching ceremony for the “Safe Schools Protocol” would take place on Tuesday at 12:00. According to Mchunu’s statement, the protocol offers a structured and coordinated plan to promote immediate and measurable action in school safety. The work plan includes updated standard operating procedures, as well as compliance measures for liquor outlets operating near school grounds.
The protocol follows crime statistics revealed by SAPS data for the 2023/2024 financial year, which reported:
- 28 murders at educational institutions — nearly half in KwaZulu-Natal
- 46% involved learner-on-learner violence
- Two-thirds of reported school rapes involved learners
- Over 11,000 school burglary cases nationwide
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