Especially with the summer holidays approaching and the matric exams having come to an end, many teenagers will be heading to beach fronts for social gatherings. But the City of Cape Town and police have issued a strong warning that drunk and disorderly conduct in a public place will be summarily dealt with.
“As the matric finals approach the normal school hours have ended for the matric class as they take leave to prepare for this crucial exam period,” Mayco Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said.
“As history has shown, it has become the norm for students to head to the beaches for one last party. But we must be clear. Alcohol is not allowed on the beaches. Do not drink and drive. We arrest countless drivers each weekend for being over the limit.”
Smith said having to declare on one’s CV that one has a criminal record brings a lifetime of shame at best; “worst-case scenario: a motor vehicle accident ending your life or that of innocent road users.
“If you have been drinking and find yourself at the beach do not enter the water. The ocean is a force of nature that shows no mercy to those with impaired judgment.
“When out with friends be sure to keep your belongings under a watchful eye. Our enforcement staff will be out in full force, both in uniform and undercover, to keep all beachgoers safe. Random breath testing will be done on those leaving these areas, and we will deploy aerial surveillance in the form of drones to help identify offenders and any form of criminality.”
The Safe Schools team in the Cape Winelands Education District, in collaboration with the police, CPF Paarl East, Child Welfare, Badisa and EJ Community Services are facilitating community-awareness programmes in the Amstelhof area and Paarl East around drug and alcohol abuse.
Research has shown that substance abuse is one of the leading causes of Gender Based Violence. Communities are encouraged to break the silence and speak out against GBV.
In 2024 and 2025, Safe Schools, in collaboration will various partners, will focus on restorative justice in the Wellington and Paarl area.
The aim of the programme is to:. equip learners with sense, knowledge and skills to avoid drug and alcohol misuse; . to create awareness and preventative measures in the broader community;. to provide a resource list for providing support when necessary; . to highlight the risk factors when engaging in any form of substance abuse;. to capacitate educators, learners and SGBs to manage and address substance abuse in schools; and. to highlight the role of family dynamics and having a systemic approach when addressing substance abuse.
