Some of Manenberg’s best and brightest have been visiting schools in the area to encourage the crime-plagued community’s children to make good choices in life.

The month-long back-to-school project was part of Manenberg police station’s role model mentorship programme that ended with a prayer service at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Heideveld, on Wednesday February 19.

Through visible policing, patrols and school visits, the project aims to keep pupils safe, says Manenberg police spokesperson Captain Ian Bennett.

“We are committed to child safety and changing the face of role models. We cannot stand by as our children are hurt or killed by those who should be their role models. We have reached out to former learners who once walked the roads of Manenberg, played in the same dusty sand, and faced the same hardships as our current learners. The key difference is that they made good choices based on strong values and morals. Now, it's their turn to inspire today's youth,” Captain Bennett said.

Apart from the focus on child safety, the project also had mentoring and spiritual components, he said.

Brigadier Neville Mallila, Brigadier Donovan Heilbron, Warren Solomans, Walter May, Colonel Joseph Daniels, Professor Irvine Kinnes, Dr Randall Ortel and Cammie Williams were part of the mentorship programme.

Professor Kinnes, an associate professor of criminology at UCT, said he had agreed to be part of the programme because “you have to have somebody who believes in you”.

He added: “You firstly have to believe in yourself, and to find somebody to believe in you because you believe in yourself is critical. Such an individual can guide you because of their experience. It is up to you to heed some of those suggestions. My family still lives in Manenberg, and, for me, it’s a constant struggle to see how children grow up here. Seeing how our young people achieve in education in Manenberg always gives me hope because it means that there are young people in Manenberg who see another way out. I enjoy coming back to my community and spreading hope.”

Anyone with roots in Manenberg who has found success is encouraged to contact Manenberg SAPS to join the initiative. You can also contact sector managers Sergeant Keyster (Sector 1) at 082 379 1636, Captain Tshomi (Sector 2) at 079 884 1479 and Sergeant Landers (Sector 3) at 082 379 1535 or visible policing commander Colonel Brickles at 082 411 3149.