CAPE TOWN – The Western Cape government this week announced that plans were in place to safeguard schools during the upcoming festive-season school holidays.
Peter Johnson, DA spokesperson for education, said in a statement issued on Thursday (11 December) that the party welcomed the Western Cape Education Department’s allocation of over R5,2 million for this purpose.
He said this decisive investment was a direct response to more than 840 incidents of crime, vandalism and theft reported at schools across the province during the first three terms of 2025, which resulted in an estimated repair bill exceeding R5,1 million. Johnson said while these figures highlighted the persistent challenge of criminality targeting schools, with Mitchells Plain, Paarl, Manenberg, Bonteheuwel and Khayelitsha among the most affected areas, they also underscored the critical role of the police in reducing crime in these communities.
The department’s evidence-based strategy included, among others;
- A R5,2 million holiday security budget to ensure 24-hour protection at high-risk schools;
- The deployment of 82 school resource officers in partnership with the City of Cape Town;
- Integration into the police-led Safer Festive Season Operational Plan, ensuring heightened patrols and visibility around identified hotspot schools;
- Activation of a whole-of-society safety network, including law enforcement, neighbourhood watches, non-government organisations and the Safe Schools Call Centre (0800 45 46 47);
- A partnership with Safe Schools to run a holiday programme focused on life skills, leadership and conflict management during the first week of school closures.
“The department’s comprehensive festive season school safety plan show that we are serious about protecting our schools so that resources are focused on education, not repairs,” said Johnson. “We urge communities to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity around schools during the holidays.”
He said every rand spent repairing damages is a rand not spent on feeding a child, transporting a learner or buying textbooks.
Schools in the Western Cape closed on Wednesday 10 December.
