7 East Bank learners arrested over furniture-burning incident in Alexandra
Gauteng Community Safety HoD says there is a learner who was found in possession of a bullet, and they now have to try to trace the firearm it belongs to.
Seven learners linked to the burning of furniture at East Bank High School in Alexandra have been arrested, according to the Gauteng Community Safety Head of Department Roche Mogorosi.
Mogorosi confirmed this during an SAPS-led school search operation in Alexandra on August 19.
The furniture was set alight at the school on August 11, as learners complained about the cold and broken windows.
Read more: Prohibited items, including a blank bullet found during Alexandra schools’ search
Mogorosi said that when officials visited the school, the principal confirmed the matter is under investigation.
“The principal, when we were at the school, indicated that a case has been opened; there is an investigating officer that has been appointed to investigate that case. But the learners were at the premises; they were never arrested,” Mogorosi said.
He said officials then took the learners to the police station and consulted the investigating officer to establish how far the case had progressed.
“It can’t be that we have ill-disciplined learners, learners that are causing damage to state property, and they are seen by other learners at the school premises as if nothing has happened. So we are attending to them.”
Mogorosi said that during the process, one of the learners was found in possession of a bullet.
“The police are processing that. We want to follow that learner and understand where the gun is that is associated with that bullet. So that learner is also getting processed,” he said.
The Gauteng Department of Education previously confirmed that a case of malicious property damage had been opened following the August 11 incident, with the matter placed under investigation.
Also read: Learner stabbed at East Bank High
Gauteng MEC for Education, Sport, Arts, Culture and Recreation Lebogang Maile condemned the incident at the time, saying there was no excuse for destroying scarce education resources.
The arrests come against the backdrop of broader efforts by the Gauteng government to strengthen safety in schools for both learners and educators.
Maile said the province is currently spending R165 million on school safety measures, including patrollers deployed at schools, traffic wardens stationed at many school sites, and continued cooperation with the South African Police Service.
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