POLOKWANE – Classes at Laerskool Pietersburg-Noord (Noordskool) were disrupted on Thursday just before the end of the day when learners from Luthuli Park Combined School in Seshego, with some adults, stormed the school.

The Luthuli Park learners loudly demanded tables and chairs for their own school and some Noordskool learners were pushed around and assaulted.

According to the school principal, Attie Visagie, this attack was aimed at awakening racial tension in the school, but was unsuccessful.

Visagie said following the incident, a meeting with the school board was held and it was decided that criminal charges would be laid against Luthuli Park Combined School.

The department of education confirmed that it would investigate the incident.

Provincial police spokesperson, Col Ronél Otto, said the police strongly condemned the actions and were investigating the incidents as criminal charges had been laid.

“We will act on people disrupting schools like this. We strongly urge teachers and parents not to use children to carry out their own agendas,” Otto warned. Extra security was visible at the school as from Friday.”

Earlier last week, the Luthuli Park school governing body headed by Clifford Mohloana, showed up at Luthuli Park Combined School dressed in ANC and South African Students’ Congress clothing during an oversight visit at the school by the DA.

According to DA Limpopo Leader, Jacques Smalle, Mohloana added to an already hostile situation by confronting one of the school’s heads of department (HOD) and chasing the HOD off the school premises.

Smalle said the DA has pressed charges against Mohloana and provided the Polokwane police with tangible proof of crime instigation.

“The DA is not surprised by the ANC-supported Mohloana’s behaviour, after he together with a group of ANC-branded SGB members disrupted my oversight visit to the school last week and completely disregarded education MEC Ishmael Kgetjepe when he attempted to intervene telephonically.

“The DA’s Vision 2029 envisages schools as sacred institutions of learning where our children are guaranteed safety and intellectual growth, they are not on any terms sites of political struggle or warring factions.”

Review attempted to contact Mohloana for comment and by the time of going to print, no comment had been received.

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