Winter fast approaching, but Mountain View High’s learners still without electricity and classroom doors

Mountain View High School is still in the dark after waiting five months for help from the Department of Education.

May 23, 2019

Heidelberg Nigel Heraut 1 minute read

Thieves damaged and broke down classroom doors. Nine of 28 classrooms were broken into. Thieves removed the electric cables, wall plugs and light switches.

Ever since the school’s transformer switch broke down in December, the school underwent a series of vandalism and theft. Without electricity the alarm system is down. Mountain View High School approached Lesedi Local Municipality (LLM) to restore electricity supply to the school. Without results they pleaded for help from the Department of Education, but they got turned away yet again due to “budget shortfalls.”

A classroom at Mountain View High School that perpetrators attempted to set on fire during a break in. The school has been left in the dark by LLM and the Department of Education.

On April 1, Mountain View High School suffered another break in. They found that nine of the 28 classrooms were broken into. The perpetrators stripped classrooms of electric cables, light switches and wall plugs. Doors were removed and stolen while chairs were broken. The suspects unnecessarily threw school documents and assignment files all over the floor which meant that classes could only resume two days later. There is no privacy in the bathrooms, because these doors are also broken down and basins removed.

Also read Mountain View High School trashed by thieves days before school re-opens

Mr Steven Nel confirmed that after five months, the school is still without electricity and security. With winter approaching, the learners of Mountain View High School are becoming more and more anxious, because the prefabricated classrooms become unbearably cold and they need lights to be able to see properly.