MEC Lebogang Maile joins SAPS-led operations in Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark, Bophelong and Sharpeville as province-wide school safety campaign reaches 23 schools
Seen Here: Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile joined SAPS-led school safety operations across Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark, Bophelong and Sharpeville, where six schools were searched and 123 prohibited items were recovered. The operation forms part of Gauteng’s ongoing drive to remove dangerous objects and prohibited substances from schools, with 23 schools now searched across the province. With unannounced weekly operations set to continue, authorities are calling on parents, schools, communities and law enforcement to work together to protect learners and create safe spaces for teaching and learning. Photo Credit: Supplied
VAAL — Gauteng authorities have intensified efforts to clamp down on drugs, dangerous weapons and other prohibited items in schools, with six schools in the Sebokeng, Vanderbijlpark, Bophelong and Sharpeville areas searched on Wednesday.
Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Lebogang Maile, joined the South African Police Service (SAPS)-led search and seizure operations on 2 September 2026 as part of the province’s ongoing school safety interventions.
The latest searches bring the total number of schools searched across Gauteng to 23, with authorities warning that the operations will continue without prior notice. The six schools targeted in Wednesday’s operation were Sehopotso Secondary School and Botebo-Tsebo Secondary School in Sebokeng, Residentia Secondary School in Vanderbijlpark, Sapphire Secondary School in Bophelong, and Mahareng Secondary School and Lekoa Shandu Secondary School in Sharpeville.
123 prohibited items recovered
The searches resulted in the recovery of 123 prohibited items, highlighting the range of objects and substances that authorities say have no place in a school environment.
Among the items recovered were:
- 43 disposable vapes
- 29 pairs of scissors
- Four knives
- 10 broken mirrors
- Five boxes of matches
- 30 items containing oil spice
- One mathematics instrument
- One space cookie
The operation at Sapphire Secondary School provided a focal point for the day’s activities, with Maile using the opportunity to stress the importance of maintaining vigilance around learner safety.
According to the MEC, the findings demonstrate why continued interventions are necessary to identify and remove items that could place learners and educators at risk.
“These operations are necessary because we cannot afford to allow our schools to become spaces where prohibited substances, dangerous objects and other harmful items are allowed to circulate,” Maile said.
“We must continue to act, but we must also understand that this responsibility does not rest with schools and government alone.”
Parents urged to take responsibility
While law enforcement and education authorities have a role to play in removing prohibited items from schools, Maile stressed that school safety cannot be addressed through searches and enforcement alone.
The MEC called on parents to become more actively involved in teaching children discipline, responsibility and respect.
The appeal comes as the provincial government seeks to position school safety as a shared responsibility involving families, schools, communities, law enforcement agencies and government.
“Parents have a critical role to play in teaching children discipline, responsibility and respect,” Maile said.
“We must all take responsibility for creating an environment in which our children can learn, grow and thrive.”
Maile linked the intervention to the Department’s broader “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child” programme, which recognises learner safety, discipline and wellbeing as collective societal responsibilities.
Unannounced searches to continue
The Gauteng Department of Education says the school safety operations will continue weekly and without prior announcement across the province.
Multiple operations are expected to take place simultaneously in different regions, with the aim of disrupting the presence of drugs, weapons and other prohibited items before they can contribute to unsafe school environments.
The department has also acknowledged the role played by SAPS, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety and private security partners in supporting the interventions.
The intensified operations come against the backdrop of ongoing concerns around safety in South African schools, where violence, substance use and the presence of dangerous objects can undermine both learner wellbeing and the ability of educators to maintain a productive teaching environment.
For communities in the Vaal and across Gauteng, the latest searches send a clear message that school safety is being treated as an ongoing responsibility rather than a once-off intervention.
The challenge, however, extends beyond what is found during a search.
The provincial government’s call for greater parental and community involvement points to a broader reality: creating safe schools requires not only enforcement at the school gates, but a sustained partnership between families, educators, communities and law enforcement.
With weekly unannounced operations set to continue, Gauteng authorities are signalling that the campaign to make schools safer will remain firmly on the provincial agenda.
