Thieves prey on Mamelodi school
The Gauteng Department of Education has urged residents to safeguard schools and report any incidents that could lead to the arrest of criminals who steal learning and teaching resources at schools.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has condemned the break-in and robbery at Tlakukani Primary School in Mamelodi.
GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona said it happened in the early hours of August 10, when two air conditioner motor-pumps and spotlights were stolen.
He said the incident was reported to the police, and investigations were currently underway.
“A case of burglary was opened with police,” said Mabona.
Image: Supplied
He said education district members have also visited the school to provide necessary support.
A member of the CPF that patrols the Mamelodi east and west areas, Eddie Mnguni, said a security guard that was on duty reported everything was normal when he knocked off.
Mnguni said the incident was only reported the following day by another security guard who arrived for his shift and discovered the break-in.
He said the suspects broke the fence to get into the school.
“When I went to check the scene, I saw that the people who broke in the school were professionals. I could tell by how the fence was broken that they had the equipment and were used to doing this.”
Mnguni added that schools were becoming targets.
“Schools in the far east of Mamelodi are the ones at high risk because they are often targeted,” he said.
Image: Supplied.
Mabona said the GDE’s approach to school safety includes the following:
– Ensuring that all public schools implement their approved school safety policies through increased monitoring by departmental officials (head office and districts).
– Strengthening the GDE/SAPS linking of schools to local police station partnerships.
– Capacity-building programmes for school safety committees to improve their functionality and efficiency (SAPS, GDE, and the Department of Community Safety will work together on this programme).
– Deployment of armed security (night shift only) and 10 patrollers during the day, supported by surveillance cameras. The number of schools with this level of security will increase annually.
– Search and seizure operations will continue at schools.
– Schools with poor fencing and decaying infrastructure will be prioritised to improve school safety.
“We would like to make an appeal to members of the community to safeguard the schools and also provide information that could lead to the arrest of criminals who continue to steal learning and teaching resources, so that these criminals face the full might of the law,” said Mabona.
The police did not provide a comment by the time of publication.
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