'No hotspots': Mchunu promises to heighten police visibility at SA's problem schools

CAPE TOWN - Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has said police visibility around some of the problematic schools in the country will be heightened.

Mchunu was speaking at the signing and launch of the Safe Schools Protocol in Cape Town on Tuesday.

It's a working agreement between the South African Police Service and the Department of Basic Education to curb the escalating violence in and around some schools in the country.

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Teachers being forced to pay money for protection, stabbings and shootings of learners and teachers on school premises, these are just some of the realities experienced at several schools situated in so-called crime hotspot areas.

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu said this must come to an end.

"No hotspots and that's our attitude; there must be no hotspots in South Africa. All spots must be cool and if they are not cool, they must be made cool, and police are there to do so. Nobody wants to live in a hotspot," said Mchunu.

Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube said: "We are tired of having our schools as places not of learning and teaching but as hotspot areas of crime."

Police will be deployed to patrol around the 283 schools identified as problematic areas and conduct search and seizure operations if and when there's suspicion of wrongdoing.