Johannesburg, 26 November, 2025 / 9:23 pm (ACI Africa).
The National Catholic Board of Education (NCBE) and the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) Justice and Peace Commission have issued a joint statement condemning the rising wave of violence affecting schools across South Africa, describing the trend as a “ national moral failure” that demands urgent and coordinated intervention.
In a statement which was shared with ACI Africa on Tuesday, November 25, the leadership NCBE and the SACBC expressed concern over the continuous insecurity in the South African nation, noting that despite several rape, killings and assault media reports, national leaders are still reluctant to act, hence making it a new normal.
“Acts of violence in and around schools make headlines for a few days, politicians express shock, and then the country moves on, until the next tragedy,” the Catholic Church leaders said.
They expressed concern that violent clashes among learners that circulate briefly on social media fade from public memory without systemic action. “This normalisation of violence is a national moral failure,” they said.
The Church leaders further expressed concern school spaces meant for learning, safety, and growth have become battlegrounds. They added, “Teachers are traumatised, learners live in fear, and communities are left with shattered trust.”
