Bergville high school fire is one of many countrywide

Bambazi High School in Bergville was destroyed in a fire on Thursday (April 9). The incident comes amid a series of school burnings in Gauteng (especially in the Pretoria area), where schools have been gutted during the lockdown period. Arson is suspected in some of the fires and it is unclear why schools are being targeted.

“We, as the Department of Education, received the news about Bambazi High School being set alight. As of yet, we are unsure what happened, because it might be that there was a problem with the power cables or maybe someone had a hand in this incident and set the fire deliberately. The police are currently investigating this matter and we are hoping to get all the answers we need,” said Mr Muzi Mahlambi, who is the spokesperson for the Department of Education in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Mr Mahlambi also stated that people are meant to be staying at home during the Covid-19 lockdown, but just the opposite is happening, with disastrous consequences. “People are burning down schools, which is costing the department money it doesn’t have. Money that should be spent on bringing learners up to date with study material after lockdown will now have to go on rebuilding schools, which is a major setback for us all,” added Mr Mahlambi.

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