Kwa-Thema – The full extent of damage suffered by Masimini Primary School remains unclear following a series of burglaries and acts of vandalism at the school.

Several items, including computer monitors, a printer, and stationery, were stolen in a burglary before the end of the festive season. According to the school’s principal, Mbuso Ndlela, determining the exact value of the losses has been difficult.

“The reason we could not be sure of what exactly was missing is that staff were still on holiday. We may discover more when we start to use the equipment we have,” said Ndlela.

Less than a month after the initial incident, criminals targeted the school again by vandalising the administration building and damaging security infrastructure.

“They broke the camera and alarm keypads and gained entry by breaking the security gate,” he said. “Again, it is unclear if they took anything during the second incident.”

Ndlela has appealed to the community to assist in protecting the school, particularly during holidays.

“The school is for our children. The thieves even took the stationery that was meant for the learners,” he said.

He added that the school is still struggling to recover from an earlier burglary in which gardening tools were stolen.

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