Thieves hit locked-down schools, again
The spokesperson for the provincial Department of Education (DoE), Jasper Zwane, told Mpumalanga News that this was a sad discovery.
Yet more schools in the province were vandalised and broken into by unknown suspects who made off with school property worth more than R88 000.
The spokesperson for the provincial Department of Education (DoE), Jasper Zwane, said this was a sad discovery.
Thirty-three thousand teachers returned to school on Monday and school management teams had reported for duty on January 25, to report these incidents.
“It is disheartening that some schools have been broken into and vandalised during the December school holidays. The sad part about this is that learners become casualties as the equipment that was stolen is meant to provide them with quality education.
“These schools include Ben Matloshe Secondary School in Bushbuckridge, where corrugated iron of two blocks were stolen. Tikhontele Secondary School was also broken into and learning and teaching equipment worth more than R88 000 was stolen. At Lindani Primary School 16 toilet seats and 12 basin taps were stolen.”
Zwane said all these incidents had been reported to the police.
“The department condemns these incidents in the strongest terms possible, and requests anyone with information to alert the police.”
The department also received reports that some people had locked the gates to the Moses Mnisi Secondary School in Bushbuckridge.
“It is sad that those who closed the gates are against the reinstatement of a principal who had been on suspension. The said principal was not found guilty by a disciplinary hearing of the department, hence his return to the school perform his duties.
“With all that said, the department is encouraged following the teachers’ return. Everything is in place leading to the return of the learners. Overall the DoE is satisfied with the way things are progressing in the majority of schools within the province,” he explained.
The department has deployed officials to assist in ensuring order at these schools.
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“We take this opportunity to reassure all teachers in the province of its undivided support throughout the 2021 academic year and beyond. The DoE is grateful and appreciates the crucial role played by teachers as the backbone of the growth and development agenda.”
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Zwane concluded by saying the department extends its best wishes to all teachers.The learners will return on February 15 and private schools reopened on Monday.
