Eastern Cape education bosses have issued an impassioned plea to communities to prioritise the education of their children.
This comes after yet another school, Milton Mbekela Senior Secondary in former president Nelson Mandela’s home village of Qunu, was nearly burnt to the ground on Friday night by a mob.
Friday’s destruction of Milton Mbekela school brings to about 14 the number of schools vandalised in the OR Tambo district since April. Of the total number, at least six were torched.
The latest incident reportedly happened around 9pm – about the same time as a protest on the nearby N2 where angry Qunu residents were demanding the removal of a ward councillor in favour of their preferred candidate.
This is the second school in Qunu to be vandalised after angry pupils at Qunu Junior Secondary School set it alight.
The principal of Milton Mbekela, Bongani Mda, told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that windows in two school blocks had been broken. He estimated the value of the damage to be around R30000.
“Each block has about 16 windows and they have been totally shattered. There were also attempts to burn down the school. They tried to torch a class by putting a burning tyre on top of one of the desks. Only the tyre burnt down.”
He was amazed the block did not catch fire.
Mda said a group of residents had been protesting along the N2 round at the same time his school was attacked.
He had spoken to some of the protesters who denied any knowledge of the arson attack at the school.
Yesterday provincial education spokesman Mali Mtima reacted: “I am shocked beyond words.”
He said the department would investigate as a matter of urgency.
Mtima pleaded with communities to put the education of their children at the top of their priority list.
“We beg people to think about the future of their children. The way things are going now people don’t care about their children. They would rather burn down a school to voice their anger although schools have nothing to do with their grievances.”
Mda said they would open a case of malicious damage to property and arson with the police today.
But one of the protest leaders who blocked the N2, Phikolomzi Habe, said the protestors had nothing to do with the trashing of the school.
Habe blamed “criminal elements” in Qunu for exploiting the protests.
“I was monitoring the protest on Friday until it ended around midnight,” he told the Dispatch yesterday.
“We have been vocal against the destruction of infrastructure from the onset.”
The Dispatch has previously reported that protesters shut down the N2 several times in the past to try and force ANC leaders in the OR Tambo region to replace new ward councillor Bongani Daniso.
The protesters claim the race for the council’s seat in ward 21 had always been between Mntunzima Thwala and Bantu Habe.
Another Eastern Cape school vandalised
This comes after yet another school, Milton Mbekela Senior Secondary in former president Nelson Mandela’s home village of Qunu, was nearly burnt to the ground on Friday night by a mob.
Friday’s destruction of Milton Mbekela school brings to about 14 the number of schools vandalised in the OR Tambo district since April. Of the total number, at least six were torched.
The latest incident reportedly happened around 9pm – about the same time as a protest on the nearby N2 where angry Qunu residents were demanding the removal of a ward councillor in favour of their preferred candidate.
This is the second school in Qunu to be vandalised after angry pupils at Qunu Junior Secondary School set it alight.
The principal of Milton Mbekela, Bongani Mda, told the Daily Dispatch yesterday that windows in two school blocks had been broken. He estimated the value of the damage to be around R30000.
“Each block has about 16 windows and they have been totally shattered. There were also attempts to burn down the school. They tried to torch a class by putting a burning tyre on top of one of the desks. Only the tyre burnt down.”
He was amazed the block did not catch fire.
Mda said a group of residents had been protesting along the N2 round at the same time his school was attacked.
He had spoken to some of the protesters who denied any knowledge of the arson attack at the school.
Yesterday provincial education spokesman Mali Mtima reacted: “I am shocked beyond words.”
He said the department would investigate as a matter of urgency.
Mtima pleaded with communities to put the education of their children at the top of their priority list.
“We beg people to think about the future of their children. The way things are going now people don’t care about their children. They would rather burn down a school to voice their anger although schools have nothing to do with their grievances.”
Mda said they would open a case of malicious damage to property and arson with the police today.
But one of the protest leaders who blocked the N2, Phikolomzi Habe, said the protestors had nothing to do with the trashing of the school.
Habe blamed “criminal elements” in Qunu for exploiting the protests.
“I was monitoring the protest on Friday until it ended around midnight,” he told the Dispatch yesterday.
“We have been vocal against the destruction of infrastructure from the onset.”
The Dispatch has previously reported that protesters shut down the N2 several times in the past to try and force ANC leaders in the OR Tambo region to replace new ward councillor Bongani Daniso.
The protesters claim the race for the council’s seat in ward 21 had always been between Mntunzima Thwala and Bantu Habe.
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