NEWS RELEASE 22 June 2005

CITY OF CAPE TOWN HOSTS REPORT BACK ON PILOT PROJECT AIMED AT GANGSTERISM

City Police presence makes 84% of learners feel safe

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The City of Cape Town recently hosted a report back on its project It’s Up To You, which was piloted by trained City Police and community facilitators in ten selected schools in Mitchell’s Plain over a period of ten weeks in late 2004.

It’s Up to You saw the City Police and trained community counsellors visiting schools in high risk areas, and equipping learners with the tools to make the right decisions about their future.

The purpose of the project was to curb the spread of gangsterism in schools by engaging vulnerable learners through proactive and reactive measures.

Councillor David Erleigh, the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee member for Safety and Security, said at the event, “I am very pleased to hear that project members, educators, learners and parents all cite numerous examples of interventions they regard as successful and that the minor flaws in the project were compensated for by the resourcefulness of the facilitators who, in many instances, went way beyond the call of duty.

“The stories of these interventions vouch for the importance of this project and hopefully it can be rolled out in future to benefit more schools and learners. I certainly look forward to receiving positive feedback regarding the impact of these interventions.

“I can assure you that it would be very pleasing indeed to see It’s Up To You achieve a best practice status in the field of school policing.”

He expressed shock at a report by the SA National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (SANCA) that there has been a 150% increase in methamphetamine (tik) abusers seeking counselling in the past six months, that 70% of the tik abusers who received counselling at SANCA were between the ages of 13 and 18 and that gangsters play a major role in converting youth not only into addicts but even into drug pushers.

“It is essential that the communities come to realize that they can beat gangsterism, even though most of them can’t remember a time when they were not under the heel of gangsters,” he said.

“The strengths of the project are that it targets a significant problem, represents a long-term preventative strategy and seeks to build working relationships between City Police, communities and schools. The evidence to carry this statement is that 77% of the 200 learners who participated in this

CITY OF CAPE TOWN HOSTS REPORT BACK ON PILOT PROJECT AIMED AT GANGSTERISM

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evaluation thought the project has been ‘good for their school’ and 84% reported ‘feeling safe’ with the police present at their school.

“The relevance of having the project at school is indicative of the fact that 40% of the 95 educators who participated in this evaluation had already used the project by referring ‘cases’ to the facilitators at their schools.“

Councillor Erleigh continued, “We know that the curse of gangsterism has deep roots in many communities who have come to accept it as a part of their daily lives.

“Today we pledge ourselves to change that, but we also acknowledge that it will take time to turn the ship around – time, huge effort and an unwavering commitment to release the chains that enslave our people.

“As I have said before, there is nothing glamorous or cool about being a gangster,” said Councillor Erleigh. “On the contrary, it is a curse that is eating away at the very fabric of our society. If we don’t destroy it, it will destroy us.”

He said it was clear that the best chance of success in addressing gangsterism was to take a multi-pronged and united approach involving the collective efforts of government and non-government organizations, civil society and the communities themselves.

City Police Chief, Bongani Jonas, added, “I would like to call on gangster organizations in this city to join forces with us so that we can work together towards restoring the moral fibre of our communities. I invite them today to join hands with us and turn their backs on the past, not through empty gestures, but by displaying a genuine change of heart.”

The ten schools which participated in It’s Up to You are Weltevreden Primary, Caravel Primary, Alpine Primary, Ridgeville Primary, Beaconview Primary, Glendale Secondary, Tafelsig Secondary, Spine Road Secondary, Oval North Secondary and Cedar Secondary.

ENDS

Issued by Rosemary Hare Public Relations cc in joint venture with

Lukholo Training and Development Services

P O Box 12521

MILL STREET

8010

On behalf of The City of Cape Town

Private Bag X9181

CAPE TOWN

CITY OF CAPE TOWN HOSTS REPORT BACK ON PILOT PROJECT AIMED AT GANGSTERISM

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For further information, please contact Debbie Bergsman at Rosemary Hare Public Relations on (021) 531-2166 or 082 490 6048.

All news releases produced by Rosemary Hare Public Relations are available on the website www.rosehare.co.za