THE bell at Durban Girls’ High School tolls no more! Principal of the school, Erica Hayes-Hill said she was devastated to discover this week that the school bell had been stolen some time over the festive season.
Speaking to Berea Mail on Tuesday, Hayes-Hill said the discovery of the stolen bell on Monday was heartbreaking, coming so soon after the school had also been a victim of crime last week.
“Our 16-seater Toyota HiAce and the battery from the school bakkie were stolen in the early hours of the morning on 3 January. It was our night watchman’s first night back to work following his leave, and he was held up by four men, tied up and told to keep his head down as they broke into the garages on the property. I am so mad about this! We have taken all the precautions, we have 24 hour security, we take the battery and rotor arms out of the vehicles. I am so angry that they would target a school,” she said.
Erica said the theft of the bell was the last straw, as this was such an important part of the school’s history and culture.
The bell and bell tower were erected by the old girls for the school’s 100 year centenary in 1982.
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“It is a big thing for our matrics to ring this bell as they leave the school on their last day, and you can’t believe how excited they get to do this, and what a privilege it is for them. That bell is precious and I can’t understand why someone would steal it and what they would do with it,” she said.
Erica said a case had been opened at the police station and she had called numerous scrap dealers, however she had been told by those she spoke to that they would never accept an item such as that.
“We work very hard to teach our girls to appreciate the history of the school and this bell was part of that history. We want it back and I want to get the word out in case anyone has seen it or heard something about it,” she said.
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