The Thabong Partnership Policing and the Lejweleputswa District police participated in a joint drug awareness campaign at the Leboneng Special School in Thabong on 8 May.
The campaign also had the Department of Justice, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Thuthuzela Care Centre (Thabong), and Department of Education as stakeholders.
The focus was on educating learners against drug and substance abuse, and implementing a zero-tolerance approach against the drug trade in school and the community.
“We wanted to empower them on childrens’ rights set out under the Children’s Act,” says Sgt. Palesa Thabana, police spokesperson for
Lejweleputswa.
The various departments presented information to the learners about the role they play in ensuring that childrens’ 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 also educated on child protection week and victim friendly facilities,” says Thabana.
Pamphlets were distributed among learners. Representatives of the various departments concluded the event by singing along to an educational and inspirational song, together with the learners.
