The Thabong Partnership Policing and the Lejweleputswa District SAPS participated in a joint drug awareness campaign at Leboneng Special School for learners with disabilities in Thabong on 8 May.
The campaign comprised the following stakeholders, Thabong SAPS Partnership Policing, Department of Justice, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Thuthuzela Care Centre (Thabong) and Department of Education.
The focus was on educating learners against drug and substance abuse and implementing a zero-tolerance approach against drug trade in school and within the community. “We wanted to empower them on the children’s rights as these are set out under the Children’s Act,” says Sgt. Palesa Thabana, Corporate Communication and Liaison: Lejweleputswa.
The various departments presented information to the learners about roles they play in ensuring that the children’s rights are protected.
“Information on how the different departments deal with matters that fall under the Children’s Act was shared. Principles on how to handle matters involving children as offenders and as victims of crime were outlined. Emphasising that the main objective is to ensure that children are rehabilitated and protected. Learners were advised to refrain from taking part in criminal activities with great emphasis put on drugs and substance abuse. They were further encouraged to report suspicious criminal activities by using the available emergency centres and numbers. They were educated on child protection week, victim friendly facilities, and emergency contact numbers,” says Thabana.
Educational pamphlets were distributed among learners. Representatives from the various departments concluded the program by singing along to an educational and inspirational song together with the learners.
