Following a visit to the Montevideo Primary School in Montana, Cape Town this morning where a teacher was shot and 10-year-old Kevin Arendse held hostage last week, Western Cape Education MEC Cameron Dugmore acknowledged that more needs to be done to ensure the safety of our learners and teachers.

For this reason he has committed himself to approach the MEC for Transport and Public Works Mcebisi Skwatsha to recruit about 2,000 volunteers to be deployed to schools at risk.

He has also undertaken to approach the Minister of Safety and Security Charles Nqakula to declare all public state schools gun and drug-free zones.

A safety summit, in partnership with the Community Safety Department, involving all 65 schools in Khayelitsha will also take place soon to address matters of safety and security raised by the schools to the MEC during various visits last year.

"I urge our communities, the school governing bodies, learner representative councils, as well as teacher unions to actively assist the department in creating a safer learning environment," said MEC Dugmore.

He said he was encouraged with the spirit of the principal, staff and the learners of Montevideo, and especially Kevin. WP-Boland cricketer Paul Adams, whom Kevin indicated was his "cricket hero", accompanied him.

His other hero, Herschelle Gibbs could not make it. "Perhaps it was because he didn't do so well yesterday," remarked MEC Dugmore on a lighter note in reference to yesterday's last one-day cricket international against England, which SA won.

However Adams undertook to invite Kevin, a keen cricket player himself, to a practising session of the WP-Boland team to meet Gibbs and some of the other players.

Speaking to a specially organised school assembly, MEC Dugmore said the fact that a boy like Kevin could offer his hostage-taker sugar water, showed that he was a "true hero".

"He showed character even in the most difficult of circumstances, and for this reason I will nominate Kevin for a Premier's award for his bravery."

* Provided that the teacher who was shot, Mrs Joy van der Heever, is medically well, MEC Dugmore intends to visit her tomorrow (Tuesday 15 February 2005). She is still recovering in hospital.

For enquiries, contact Gert Witbooi: 082 550 3938, or gwitbooi@pgwc.gov.za.

Gert Witbooi
Media Secretary
Office of the MEC for Education
Western Cape
Tel: 021 467 2523
Fax: 021 425 5689
Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za

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