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Damage to one of the Northwest schools burned down Thursday.
Basic Education Department
- Four schools burned down in the Northwest, in an act the education department called “savagely cruel.”
- The burning comes ahead of crucial year-end exams in a year complicated by Covid-19 and the disruption of schooling.
- Residents of the school towns north of Rustenburg have been asked to help police locate the perpetrators.
Northwest school students were hit hard when fires broke out in four separate schools in an alleged arson.
The province’s education department spokesman Elias Malindi said the fires broke out in Moruleng, north of Rustenburg, on Thursday.
Damages include:
- At the secondary school in Manamakgotha, the structure of the school assembly point, along with 200 chairs, five desks, the teachers’ lounge, five classrooms and the administration office were partially burned;
- At Raphurele Secondary School in the village of Welgeval, attempts were made to burn down two classrooms;
- At Ofentse primary school in Moruleng, the doors of two classrooms were partially burned;
- In Dikweipi, two primary school classrooms were totally burned and one partially burned.
North West School Fire (supplied)
Northwest School Fire (Northwest Department of Education).
Damage after an arson attempt at a Northwest school (Northwest Department of Education)
Damage to one of the Northwest schools burned down Thursday.
The areas where the schools are (Google Maps)
North West MEC for Education Mmaphefo Matsemela said: “We strongly condemn this and those who did it are savagely cruel to their community.
“This barbaric custom of burning schools should come to an end. We cannot emphasize how serious this setback is for the already committed academic year.”
She pleaded with residents in the vicinity of the schools to help the police find the perpetrators.
Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone said police are investigating two cases of arson and two attempts at arson.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that a flammable substance was used during the commission of the crimes. The motive has not yet been determined and no one has been arrested at this stage; the investigation into the matter continues,” Mokgwabone said.
Malindi said schooling will continue and staff will “fix” the damage.
They were not aware of any disputes that may have led to the attacks.
In 2013, 31 schools were burned in Vuwani, Limpopo.
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