Cops have seized drugs and weapons from Manenberg High School during a raid.
The search was conducted on Tuesday morning and the police found 56 dagga stoppe, nine knives, a bullet and a huge number of cigarettes.
A letter from principal CC Williams to parents said more searches will be conducted in future.
“Parents, this is unacceptable! It sends a message that certain learners do not come to school to learn.
“Instead they are here to enrich themselves and their suppliers, they are here to cause grievous bodily harm, they are here to sit in classes high on dagga. This defeats the purpose of the school as a learning institution.
“We have liaised with SAPS and future searches will be conducted.
“If your child is found with anything incriminating, criminal charges will be taken.”
He also said: “Our staff fear for their lives, as on numerous occasions we have been threatened with violence by learners, threatened with violence by gangsters, pelted with stones and threatened to be shot.”
He urged parents to take action by searching their children’s school bags and to know who their friends are.
WCED spokesperson Unathi Booi says: “The spot check is one of the safety interventions initiated by the school – aimed to address some of the negative societal issues that face learners, and the school community.”
Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi says the well-coordinated search was planned between Manenberg police and the school.
“The police members confiscated dagga, knives, a bullet and a huge amount of cigarettes.
“The personnel are again encouraged to register criminal cases with the South African Police Service when they are threatened or their lives are in danger,” he says.