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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is deeply alarmed by the latest crime statistics for the second quarter of the 2024/25, which paint a grim picture on the safety and security of our schools and higher education institutions.

The lack of safety in education institutions, including primary and high schools, should be of great concern for the Departments of Basic Education, Higher Education, and Police. Law enforcement and crime prevention falls squarely within the mandate of the South African Police Service (SAPS) under the Minister of Police. This includes the responsibility to assist schools, and day care facilities to keep their learners, students and staff safe.

The figures reveal shocking statistics of crime scenes, including 24 attempted murders, 13 murders, 106 rapes and 318 instances of assault with the intent to inflict grievous bodily harm occurring on the premises of educational institutions.

Three instances of murder involved learners killing other learners and two out of the 13 involved security guards murdering learners.

In a sample size of only 7 165 rape crime scenes, 106 rapes have taken place on the premises of schools, universities, day care facilities and colleges. 52 of these were learners in primary or secondary schools committing this crime against other learners. Five rape crime scenes were reported to be on the premises of day cares, creches, nurseries or pre-schools.

All of the above statistics were sourced within sample sizes and does not consider the total of the South African learner population.

When the first quarterly crime statistics were released, the DA submitted questions to the Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu regarding learner safety, collaborations with other departments for awareness and other intervention strategies, the low statistics on search and seizure operations in schools, and the plans for his department to address the failure of the ‘adopt-a-cop’ strategy due to a lack of resources. Yet the Minister has not yet responded.

These statistics and the neglect of Minister Mchunu to respond to the DA’s questions, reflect a continuing failure to adequately protect vulnerable communities, despite repeated calls for enhanced security measures in and around schools.

The lack of visible policing, inadequate security measures at educational institutions, and insufficient crime-prevention programmes such as search and seizure operations and neglect to implement awareness programmes and social support are enabling these alarming trends to persist unchecked.

Schools and other educational institutions are meant to be havens of safety for children, yet crime statistics continue to indicate that learners are being raped and killed on the grounds of educational institutions by their peers or, in some cases by strangers.

The outdated adopt-a-cop strategy employed by the overburdened and under-resourced Department of Police assigns roughly one police officer for every 10 schools, if possible. The DA will not accept that this is all that can be done.

The DA calls on the Minister of Police to urgently intervene, to go back to the drawing board and generate ideas that consider whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, to address safety and the pressing need for social and psychological support for learners, teachers and students on the grounds of educational institutions in South Africa.

In light of these alarming statistics, the DA will submit a motion to the National Assembly to debate the safety of learners, teachers, and students on the premises of educational institutions, as well as the interventions SAPS is putting in place to curb the increase in such crimes.

Educational institutions must be restored as places of hope and opportunity.

Issued by Ciska Jordaan MP - DA Deputy Spokesperson on Basic Education