The Education MEC in the province, Viola Motsumi, handed out mobile classrooms on Monday at a school gutted by fire in 2019. According to the Education spokesperson, Elias Malindi, six classrooms were burnt by protesting community members who were not happy with the conditions of the school. He added arrests of residents who participated in protests led to the burning of the school. Malindi quoted Motsumi after she instructed officials to provide more classrooms for the school.

“We cannot condemn learners for the acts committed by adults. These learners suffered for a long time without a proper school in this area. Now we are approaching winter and we cannot expose them to the cold. This year we're going to build eight classrooms, an administration block, and ablution facilities. Next year we are going to ensure that we improve their sporting grounds,” he said.

Meanwhile, Motsumi warned residents from destroying public property. This after stating that the school was furnished with three mobile classrooms immediately after the torching, making it seven mobile classrooms to alleviate overcrowding.

"I wish to condemn those communities who embark on destroying public properties. We have a huge backlog of building schools in this province and burning them causes the department to prioritise the same schools again. I am appealing to our communities to desist from such an unfavourable act," Motsumi concluded.

OFM News