Durban — Residents in Maqongqo village outside Pietermaritzburg, have called on KwaZulu-Natal Education MEC Sipho Hlomuka to intervene after police found drugs inside the Mbambangalo High School.
During the raid on Wednesday, police found dagga, counterfeit cigarettes and unidentified drug pills inside the school.
A parent who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Daily News on Thursday that although the police raid was commendable, they still needed the Education MEC to intervene because drugs were always available in the school.
The parent said the previous year, only one grade 12 pupil passed out of the entire class. He blamed this on the drug problem at the school, saying locals were aware of it for some time.
“I think we need MEC Hlomuka to urgently visit the school. Something must be done now. We also call on Inkosi Maphumulo to be proactive and do something about this to protect the future and image of the area and school,” said the parent.
Reacting to the news, Inkosi Maphumulo said he had heard about the raid for the first time, as no one had reported it to him. However, he was aware of the drug problem at the schools.
Maphumulo said he would call an urgent stakeholders meeting, which would include his traditional council, and Education, Health and Social Development representatives to address the matter.
KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson, Muzi Mahlambi, said: “Yes it's true, the police arrived in four quantum kombis and raided all the classes. They found dagga, some drugs and cell phones. No weapons were found. No arrest.”
Substance abuse among pupils is a headache for parents and teachers in many schools.
Three weeks ago, this paper reported about a girl pupil who was hospitalised after a drug overdose inside the school premises in Merebank, south of Durban. The paper was told that the drug Xanax was readily available at the school with a packet of 10 pills costing R5 inside.
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Daily News