Another school goes up in flames
Yet another school has been set alight in Mpumalanga, allegedly by community members unhappy with a stadium renovation project.
Pupils from Letfukuthula Primary School in Matsulu outside Mbombela had to be sent back home yesterday after their school caught fire in the early hours of the morning.
Five classrooms, furniture and books were burned down.
Letfukuthula is the third school in the province to be set alight since the weekend.
At the weekend, two secondary schools in the Siyabuswa area, Thabana and Siyathokoza, were set alight after community members had complained about the results of a by-election.
Mpumalanga police said yesterday that no one has been arrested in relation to the latest incident.
Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga has expressed anger at the burning of the schools and called for harsher sentences for people found guilty of destroying public infrastructure including schools.
Mpumalanga MEC for education Sibusiso Malaza also expressed his anger after the latest incident: “This is totally out of order, 711 learners who were supposed to write two examination papers had to be sent back home because the school was in flames.
“This is worrisome considering that these are [young] children aged 11 and younger. [They are] supposed to be in the care and supervision of adults, most of whom are at work and could not make prior arrangements.”
Malaza said the department was working with law enforcement to monitor the situation.
Mpumalanga police commissioner General Mondli Zuma said police arrived at the school only to find it in flames.
“We are appealing to the community to come forward with information that can lead us to arresting those responsible,” Zuma said.
“Our question as the police is, what are we planting in the minds of the children if we adults burn schools?
“Children will think education is not important.”
According to community members, two violent incidents erupted at an ANC meeting near the school on Saturday and on Monday, which they said were to blame for the criminal act.
“On Saturday, there was a meeting of community members with the branch executive committee (BEC) of the ANC.
“They were talking about appointing a community liaison officer (CLO) for the renovation of the Matsulu Stadium,” explained a community member who requested anonymity.
“A fight broke out and they assaulted the secretary of the executive who sided with the local councillor.
“On Monday, there was a service delivery protest but not on the section where the school is, and people complained about the road there.
“People who burned the school might have been part of the two incidents, but we believe this is [connected to] the BEC and community meeting over the tendering and appointing of a CLO,” added a resident, who said these were the most likely reasons why the school was torched.
Another resident, Sindi Mkhonto, whose child is a pupil at Letfukuthula, said she was shocked when her child returned home from school early yesterday.
“I had to take her back to the school when she returned home, because she is supposed to be writing exam,” she said.
“This [not going to school] will impact them negatively because of their exams.”