Covid-19: 183 schools vandalised since start of Covid-19 lockdown

Minister of Basic Education, Angie Motshekga, said she was horrified at the alarming number of schools which had been vandalised.

Three schools in KwaZulu-Natal were broken into during the last 24 hours, and expensive learning equipment stolen.

Last night (April 12) EThekwini Primary in Durban became the latest in a string of schools targeted in recent weeks.

Gauteng has reported 55 schools vandalised, Mpumalanga 72, North West seven and KwaZulu-Natal two.

Motshekga said it was disheartening that criminal elements in communities could destroy infrastructure which benefited their own children, and with such apparent impunity.

“I am in constant touch with the Minister of Police, and with the assistance of the State Intelligence Forces, we are following leads to the immediate arrest and prosecution of every single criminal responsible,” she said.

“Communities are supposed to be caretakers of the infrastructure that government put in place for the education of children. It is extremely disappointing that criminals, who are part of the community, randomly destroy the same infrastructure meant to provide decent places of learning and teaching for our children.”

Motshekga urged communities to assist police with identifying the culprits and strongly discouraged them from buying items stolen from schools.

“These criminals must be reported to the police immediately. Let us work together to safeguard the future of our children by exposing these criminal elements. The learners from these schools will be the hardest hit as there could be delays in the implementation of the curriculum recovery plan when schools finally reopen,” she said.