Schools hit hard by thieves
“Schools should be holy ground to our communities as it is the future of our children.” - Principal
Two primary schools in Modimolle are taking stock of the damage done by thieves after break-ins during load shedding over the weekend.
Both Eenheid Primary School, located near the police station and Modimolle Primary School in Phagameng, were targeted by thieves.
The thieves got access to Eenheid through the roof on Saturday morning at 01:00.
“They used a grinder to cut through the roof and then cut all the electric wiring to our office block. Thereafter they got entry to our office block via a window,” said Gerda Pringle, the principal.
With the alarm and camera system disabled, they tried to gain access to the safe.
“They were unable to cut through the thick steel door and the adjoining wall. They broke into the principal’s office where they took a microwave and the screen of the camera system. Two computers were taken from the admin office,” Pringle said.
The cameras in the lobby and classes however were able to get some footage.
“This is really upsetting as schools should be holy ground to our communities as it is the future of our children. Schools need to spend more and more money on safety,” she said.
New security measures were put in place.
Amore Badenhorst, principal at Modimolle Primary School, said that break-ins this time of year are a regular occurrence.
“We also had a break-in this time last year where much damage was done,” she said. “During the loadshedding that took place over the weekend, the thieves entered the school. Our camera system didn’t work as the power was off. The thieves broke windows and burglar bars to gain entry to the newer classrooms, where they damaged the ceilings to get to the electrical cables.”
Badenhorst said that they’ve increased their security as they are concerned about safety during the December holidays. The thieves did not take any equipment but caused much disruption due to the cable theft.
“I suspect the cables are worth much less than the damage done to the school.”
According to WO. Pieter Booyse of the Modimolle Police, they’ve seen a sharp increase in break-ins and thefts in the vicinity of the police station and the AS Salaam neighborhood. The area from the F.H. Odendaal Hospital towards the industrial area is also targeted. “The break-ins happen during any time day or night. We’ve also had cases of copper theft on the outskirts of town and on the small holdings.”
