Drug drive to rein in school vandals

ABOUT R1 million will have to be spent on repairing eight government schools in Durban that criminals vandalised this year, stealing building material to sell to scrapyards – apparently to feed their drug habits.

Four of the schools are in Umlazi; four are in Chatsworth.

The Department of Public Works has been approached by the schools to do the repairs.

KZN’s Human Settlements and Public Works MEC, Ravi Pillay, said copper pipes, fire extinguishers, taps, electricity cables and door frames were stolen. The vandalism usually took place during holidays and over weekends.

Pillay revealed this yesterday when he visited The Mercury’s offices in Greyville with KZN Premier Zweli Mkhize and the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu.

They were publicising their support for the fight against drugs in Chatsworth initiated by the Post newspaper, which shares the same building as The Mercury. Mkhize said a police team had been assembled to hunt down drug bosses.

Pillay said communities around the schools had told him that criminals – mostly young men – sold the stolen material for cash to buy drugs.

Post asked its Chatsworth readers to supply it with information about drug dealing. The newspaper handed 500 letters with information to Mkhize to pass on to police.