42 schools vandalised, burgled at WC schools over June/July holidays

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) says that 42 schools have reported incidents of vandalism and burglary during the June/July holidays. This is four more cases compared to the same period in 2021

Items stolen or damaged included bathroom fixtures, fencing, solar panels, consumables such as stationery and cleaning materials, tablets and ICT equipment, security and electrical equipment, and bicycles. Criminals event looted packs of sanitary pads and first aid kits.

Education MEC, David maynier says one major incident involved damages estimated at over R121 000. He added that the total cost of all the incidents is currently estimated at R808 600, with the estimates for some of the incidents still outstanding.

‘’That means that nearly a million rand that could have been spend on educating our learners now must be spent on fixing wanton damage,’’ said Maynier.

Four hundred and seventeen schools received holiday security from the WCED over the June/July school holidays.

‘’We thank our school communities for keeping a close eye on our schools and reporting suspicious activity in their areas.’’

‘’Of particular concern is that some of the schools which fell victim to crime over the holidays had security guards, cameras, and other security features in place. We need to better understand what our schools need to ensure that they are safe from criminal attacks,’’ added Maynier.

The MEC said community has the responsibility to keep schools safe as well.  

‘’Our schools have reported the cases to SAPS, and I will seek a meeting with the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, to discuss progress on these and the cases reported by our schools and the Department previously,’’ said Maynier.

Done By: Mitchum George