POLOKWANE – Last Tuesday night, a brazen robbery occurred at Nirvana Primary School, where 29 laptops and several phones were stolen from a secure room.
Four armed men jammed the school’s gate, forced it open, and took two on-duty security guards hostage, leading them to a nearby open field.
Read more: Security guards tied up during Nirvana Primary School robbery
The robbers confiscated three cellphones from the guards, including one belonging to a colleague on the day shift.
Speaking Sepedi with an unusual accent, according to a source, the assailants unsuccessfully attempted to enter the safe room through the roof.
Undeterred, they ground down the security door and stole the laptops, along with additional cellphones that had been confiscated from learners and secured by the school.
After completing their heist, the robbers locked the two guards in a restroom, where they were discovered by school staff the following morning.
A case of business robbery has been opened, and no injuries were reported.
As of Tuesday, police had yet to make any arrests.
Authorities have urged the public to come forward with any information that could aid in the investigation, by contacting Sgt. Johannes Chokoe at 068 115 7000, Crime Stop at 08600 10111, the nearest police station, or using the MySAPSApp.
Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya expressed concern at the increasing frequency of break-ins and similar crimes at schools, stating that the department would be strengthening security measures in response.