Gauteng schools under siege by vandals and burglars

A total of 105 cases of school burglaries and vandalism have been opened around the Gauteng province since the beginning of the year, but only six arrests have been made.

The concerning statistic was revealed by the DA on Tuesday.

The party said it was concerned that “education continues to lose millions of rands in theft, burglaries and vandalism, while not much is being done to safeguard assets”.

“The DA believes there are more cases than the 105 cases of burglaries and vandalism that have been reported, as many schools in different regions have experienced incidents of theft, burglary and vandalism since the beginning of the year,” reads the statement.

The DA accused the department of education and community safety of a “dismal failure to protect schools as they are increasingly becoming a target for criminals”.

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“The DA calls on the SAPS to ensure that all cases reported are investigated and result in convictions. They should also prioritise school safety by ensuring police visibility across all schools.”

The party said it was also concerning that the suspects arrested were repeat offenders and still on trial on other charges.

Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko said the most affected schools included:

• Orlando High School in Soweto,
• Sebokeng Community Learning Centre,
• WF Nkomo Secondary School in Atteridgeville,
• Mthombo Primary School in Mamelodi and
• Tshepisong Primary School in Kagiso.

The department of education could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

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