Marite community is under siege by criminals

The community of Marite in Bushbuckridge is at the mercy of hardened criminals who have been terrorising the area and not sparing even a school in the area.

Parents of scholars at Halimela High School believe the high crime is the reason the department of education was intending to close the school.

However, the department says it is because of the low enrolment which is not sustainable.

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The department’s spokesperson Gerald Sambo said: “Halimela Secondary School has an enrolment of 105 [pupils] with only nine [pupils] in Grade 12. The school is also situated in outskirts of Marite, which is prone to criminal activities and has been broken into on several occasions.”

South African Police Service spokesperson Captain Magonseni Nkosi, echoed the department’s concerns, saying the community was under siege in that area.

“The problem is not limited to Halimela High School. Many other schools in that area also experience criminal activities such as burglaries and theft.

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“We cannot give statistics yet, it is only after the minister has announced them that we can tell you the numbers. As the Saps, we condemn this because they are depriving children of the right to learn.”

Sambo said they had decided to merge the pupils with Mathiphe High School because there were enough classes to accommodate them.

However, school governing body deputy secretary Shadrack Mnisi said they were caught off guard with this announcement two weeks ago.