Classrooms set ablaze at Eldorado Park school [VIDEO]

A fire at Lancea Vale Secondary School in Eldorado Park resulted in significant damage to three classrooms on Tuesday.

This comes as gang violence in the area has spilt into its schools, with the same school seeing one pupil stabbing another last week.

“The injured student was taken for medical treatment, and investigations are continuing,” police spokesperson Colonel Noxolo Kweza told The Citizen at the time.

A case of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH) was opened.

Also, two armed people reportedly entered Willow Crescent Secondary School and opened fire, injuring two pupils.

However, officials were unable to confirm this as no injured individuals or cartridges were found at the scene, Kweza said.

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Eldorado Park school: Fire guts classrooms

Gauteng Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation MEC, Matome Chiloane, said he was concerned by the Tuesday fire in the school’s Grade 8 and Grade 9 blocks.

Preliminary reports indicate that the fire initially started in Room 81, located on the first floor of Block C, his department said.

The fire spread rapidly, completely gutting three classrooms, and the structural safety of the building is now a concern.

Firefighters will provide a report on the extent of the damage for a decision to be taken on whether it will be safe to continue with teaching and learning in the affected block of classrooms.

The police are also investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident.

“We will not tolerate violence or gangsterism perpetuated in around and our schools,” Chiloane said, noting the stabbing at the same school last week.

“In the same breath, we are closely monitoring the situation, and we are certain that learning and teaching will resume accordingly at the school.”

Protecting schools

Last year, Chiloane unveiled an action plan that included the deployment of guards to 75 schools, hand-held detectors to help with screening for weapons, CCTV camera installations and the distribution of e-panic buttons to more than 3 000 staff in 245 schools.

The department identified 245 schools considered high-risk for pupils and Zwane said the department needed to do more.

“The infrastructure of many schools is collapsing, making it easy to gain access,” said Zwane.

Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba and Thando Nondywana.