BUSHBUCKRIDGE – Chayaza Secondary School became the latest school in the province to be targeted and vandalised in this fashion by criminals.

An entire administration block was torched and burned to ashes. Teachers have converted a classroom into a temporary office.

According to the Mkhuhlu-based police spokesperson, Sgt Zanele Sibuyi, the SAPS are hard at work trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

READ: Parents close school demanding more teachers

“It is alleged that a group of males entered the school premises and headed towards the administration block. They threw explosives through the windows and the building was immediately engulfed in fire,” she explained. “The police are investigating a case of arson. No one has been arrested so far and our investigations are continuing, and we hope to make arrests soon,” said Sibuyi.

This incident comes just weeks after a number of schools were damaged and broken into by criminals.

In KaNyamazane, school property worth more than R1 million was stolen from Lekazi Primary School during lockdown. Laptops, stoves, a fridge, data projectors, Internet servers, furniture, PPE for Covid-19 and groceries meant for the school nutrition programme were stolen. It has barely been a year now since another school in Bushbuckridge, Manyakatana Primary, was also burned to ashes.

ALSO READ: Back to school for thousands of learners

The MEC for education, Bonakele Majuba, condemned the torching of Chayaza Secondary. “It is a very sad situation especially now that we are still faced with the Covid-19 pandemic and our learners need every available classroom.

This is the work of barbarians who only think of themselves and are putting the lives of our learners at huge risk,” said Majuba. He pleaded with members of the community to assist the SAPS in arresting the suspects.

“We are making a clarion call to members of the community to come forward with information that can assist the police to arrest these culprits who are engaged in thwarting the development of our learners and communities,” appealed Majuba.