Chairperson, the reply is that, at a national level, the SAPS issued guidelines for schools-based crime prevention and will work closely with the Department of Basic Education to build and ensure collaboration at local level between police stations and schools in their areas in the interests of school safety. This approach addresses school safety by dealing with both prevention programmes and ensuring appropriate responses to safety concerns.
Search and seizure procedures should be undertaken as part of this broader approach and are one of the possible responses to the concerns about drugs or dangerous weapons in schools. It should also be done in co-operation with school management, school governing bodies or safe school committees as a practice, as it has been done.
Part of the SAPS's school safety approach is to also build a positive relationship between the learners and the SAPS to ensure that they trust the SAPS, report crime and share their safety concerns. It is therefore important that we keep that objective in mind when dealing with law enforcement duties like search and seizures, whilst at the same time instilling confidence with decisive and professional action when crimes are committed in these areas. I thank you, Chairperson.