Education experts discuss Cedarberg Primary crime crisis

Disturbing is how National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) executive director Basil Manuel describes the goings on at a Nelson Mandela Bay primary school.

Teachers at Cedarberg Primary School in Booysen Park are at their wits’ end as pupils run rampant, join gangs, threaten the teachers and classmates, and allegedly hide guns and sell dagga on school grounds.

The situation has escalated to the point where heavily armed police have been called upon to patrol the premises and monitor the ticking time bomb.

“The community is not a community that is free of gang violence.

“This has infiltrated a primary school.

“Most disturbing is that it would appear that at least two pupils could have guns had on them.

“It was alleged that they were running around with guns and had shown them [to their classmates],” Manuel said. 

“There are questions to be answered.

“Where do children get guns from?

“Whose guns are they?

“Are those people being called in?

“Have they been charged?

“Then, of course, how do we solve the bigger problem?”

Hear what else Manuel says in Behind The Herald Headlines with Daron Mann. 

We also speak to renowned academic Prof Jonathan Jansen.