A class assignment at Nageng Primary School spreading awareness amid GBV that included the input of the SAPS, a Social worker, the Department of Education officers, a teacher from Mthimkhulu Primary School, teachers and learners at the school, was shot as a documentary that will be televised on the SABC 2 programme dubbed, Duty Calls.A Life Orientation teacher(Bethuel Malebe) explained how it all unfolded, saying, “ I was interacting with the Grade 7 learners concerning the societal issues which are prevalent like Domestic Violence, Teenage Pregnancy and Gender Based Violence among them and fortunately the learners showed immense knowledge in the topics which were presented, especially the Gender Based Violence topic and then I asked them to research more on the topic, indeed they researched and presented their work in form of poems and speeches, but we vastly needed the input of other parties which are familiar with this scourge.
“Thereafter I approached all the needed parties to be involved in the assignment, nonetheless after approaching the Vosloorus SAPS to participate in the project Captain Piet Rossouw suggested I wrote a letter to the National or Provincial SAPS departments for approval in order for the Vosloorus SAPS to be permitted to partake in the class assignment, however I received an approval letter on the 1st of September 2020 and it laid the foundation for the documentary shooting which was facilitated by the SAPS National office in Centurion, Pretoria “ Regardless of the timing all the participants showed great interest, the Department of Education was represented by Maria Molapo and Yvonne Schalk, Asthnath Ramopone(Social Worker) shared what role do the social workers play in the situation of GBV, Sinoyolo Dikana from Mthimkhulu Primary School divulged the teachers’ standpoint in the topic and Nomphumelelo Avril Nhlapo highlighted how should the SAPS handle the reported cases of GBV and what kind of assistance should they offer to the victims, some teachers of our school and the principal got involved in the project, never forgetting all the grade 7 learners who recited the poems and speeches: Nare Seakamela, Kamogelo Mabala, Hlalefo Kganyago, Thato Maako and Bohlale Seritsane a grade 1 learner from Van Dyk Primary School.The Principal of the School (Lefty Monobe) highlighted his experience and why he actively joined the documentary project, stating, “The was a day when I arrived early in the morning here at our school and discovered a pupil crying, who divulged that his father hits his mother at home, so that touched me, that’s why I participated in the assignment,” Mr Monobe shared.
One of the teachers, Zamanthuma Maphumulo, at the School also disclosed, saying, “first of all I’m a woman, the scourge affects us widely, I might be the next victim who knows, we trying to curb the plight by engaging to create awareness,” She considerately alluded.Constable Nomphumelelo Avril Nhlapo from the Vosloorus SAPS who also participated in the assignment, stated that, “Firstly we were approached by Nageng Primary School to join the GBV assignment, we saw it as a necessity to join hands with Nageng Primary School, it was a privilege to create this awareness project, it was important for us as SAPS to step in and make people understand the procedure of reporting GBV crimes,” Nhlapo vividly explained.Women Abuse Helpline: 0800 150 150SAPS Crime Stop: 086 00 10111
