On Thursday, 28 July 2016, six classrooms at Setilo Secondary school near Mafikeng were burnt down due to political violence in the area.
This follows after a mob on Tuesday(26 July) disrupted lessons at Setilo Secondary School. Learners and teachers were unable to continue with teaching and learning due to the uprisings experienced in the area.

The North West Education and Sports development MEC, Sello Lehari condemned this act of violence.
“This act of burning schools of our children is unacceptable towards the future of our country. On behalf of the department, I would like to condemn this violent act in its strongest terms, people are now venting their anger to destroying schools about issues that are far away from education. I am very much disappointed by the fact that last week there was another school burnt at Piet Plessis and now this is the second incident that has been reported. I would like to encourage our communities whenever they have differences with the authorities to seek a peaceful intervention rather than to destroy public property,” said Lehari.
MEC Lehari highlighted that this incident is going to affect learners badly because the third quarter of the academic year has just started and schools need to complete their syllabus. He indicated that in three months time learners will be writing their final examination and they need to be well prepared.
A case of arson was opened with the Mooifontein police and both learners and teachers are still not at school.