BY LINDELWA DLAMINI
MBABANE – The Royal Eswatini Police Services (REPS), in collaboration with the Ministries for Health, and Education and Training, is actively engaging schools nationwide to address and combat gangsters, substance abuse, bullying, gender-based violence (GBV), and HIV prevention.
This was confirmed by Constable Siphiwe Kunene, in an interview on Eswatini TV’s Kusile Breakfast show on Monday (June 3, 2024), she highlighted the alarming prevalence of gangsters among Eswatini’s youth and emphasised the importance of raising awareness to safeguard the future generation.
Kunene explained that gangsters embodied a culture or style adopted by certain individuals trained to engage in various criminal activities upon joining a group. Eswatini has identified several gangs, including Iraq, Benjamins, Boko Haram, K-9, and Generals. Notably, children as young as 10 have joined the oldest gangs, such as 26s and 28s, predominantly formed by incarcerated criminals.
She noted that children often join gangs due to prevalent bullying in schools or because of their impoverished backgrounds, seeking a sense of belonging. She added, “Schools wishing to host the team can reach out at 2409 7000.”
