Vandals target school for learners with special needs
Matshidiso LSEN School has incurred more than R100 000 worth of damage as it continues to be looted by thieves.
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Tsakane – Principal Thapelo Tshetlo says they are tired of the persistent attacks by vandals and the inactivity of the community to stop them.
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“The school is burgled quite often now.
“And the worst part is that the surrounding community witnesses some of these crimes but fails to report them.
“It is a shame because this is the only school of its kind in the area.”
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The special needs school makes use of a lot of equipment to train learners in different handwork.
Also read: Schools burgled and vandalised
Their home economics centre has been stripped bare, unusable to the children.
“How are we supposed to teach them now?
“The DB boxes in most of the classrooms have also been stripped of the electrical wiring,” he adds.
One of the school’s buses has also been vandalised and most of its wiring has been stolen.
Tshetlo says they have been quoted R75 000 to fix the bus.
Also read: School vandalised during holidays
He adds that the storeroom where their groceries are kept was broken into over the school holidays.
The palisade fence that was donated to the school keeps disappearing, metre by metre.
Frederick Masilo, the chairperson of the school governing body, is appealing to the community for help.
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“The people who see these things while they are happening need to report them to the police.”
The school is less than 1km away from the Tsakane Police Station.
The patrollers who were hired by the school have since been fired.
“We would like to appeal to security companies to assist us with CCTVs or any other measures that can curb this criminal activity.”
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