Xolile Mtembu|Published
Arcadia Primary School in Bonteheuwel, Cape Town, has reassured parents that it is operating as normal, saying the area is currently quiet and there is no gang activity.
The school issued an update following concerns about shootings and gang-related violence in the surrounding community.
In its latest notice, the school urged parents and guardians to stop circulating unverified information that could cause unnecessary alarm.
“The school is operating as normal. The area is currently quiet. There is no gang activity happening,” the school said.
The notice also asked parents to contact the school directly if they were uncertain about reports circulating in the community.
“If anything should happen, we will immediately inform all parents. If you are unsure of anything, please contact the school directly,” the school said.
The latest update follows an earlier notice in which the school expressed concern about learners’ safety amid violence in the surrounding community.
At the time, parents and guardians were asked to use their discretion when deciding whether to send their children to school. The school clarified that it was not instructing parents to keep learners at home.
The principal also stressed that the school took precautions to protect learners on its premises but could not guarantee their safety beyond the school grounds.
In October, a 46-year-old man was reportedly shot in the head and leg while driving along Prunus Street.
Further shootings were reported that weekend, including a fatal shooting in Loganberry Street.
In April, separate shootings left five people injured, including four children aged between 10 and 16.
Reports have also linked gang rivalries in the area to alleged disputes over control of the drug trade.
The school has now urged parents to rely on official communication and contact it directly for clarification rather than spreading rumours.
IOL News