Furious pupils burn school, hold education officials and cops hostage

Hundreds of enraged pupils ran amok, torching five classrooms and their principal’s office.

They also held education officials, police and school governing board members members hostage for almost seven hours on Wednesday.

This all happened at Majali Technical High in Majola village outside Port St Johns.

The school was built in 2005.

Tensions among the 554 pupils has been building since November when the school was seriously damaged by a gale.

Weeks turned to months as the education department failed to pay a builder to erect temporary structures and pupils endured foul weather in their outdoor classrooms under trees.

The roof of an entire block was damaged, but the Dispatch yesterday saw workers still busy with the brickwork with no roof work done.

This week’s discontent climaxed yesterday with pupils taking the adults at the school hostage from 11am until 6pm.

They were released when members of the public order policing (POP) unit from Mthatha arrived.

Rubber bullets were fired and protesting pupils dispersed.

Principal Mthunzi Fikizolo said: “We were held hostage from around 11am and only freed shortly before 6pm. We were very scared, hungry and thirsty. We just thank God that none of us was injured,”

“That was a terrifying experience. We feared for our dear lives,” said district chief education specialist Bongie Peyana.

President of the students represetative council, Khaya Qoyi, said pupils were angry with the government.

“First, the roof of an entire block was blown away by the wind and the remaining block was damaged. The buildings were condemned by inspectors who said the whole school must start from scratch as it posed danger.

“We wanted to move to the temporary structures and not be exposed to danger when the construction of the new buildings start.

“But the department arrogantly said they had no money to pay the contractor to assemble the temporary structures and it will take a long time to find the funds.

“It showed they do not care about us,” said Qoyi.

Pupils had decided to go on strike, but he said: “We never burnt the school.”

Pupils refused to attend class on Monday and Tuesday.

On Wednesday, pupils blockaded roads with burning tyres and logs and the school was set on fire.

SGB deputy chairman Nkosinathi Majali, village headman Keke Lofani and Port St Johns Municipality ward 8 councillor Justice Lobi of the ANC, were seen inspecting the ruins yesterday.

They were joined by a DA delegation led by Port St Johns councillor Mbongeni Kotana and OR Tambo district councillor Chris Xhangayi.

“We tried several times to stop the children from burning the school. But they overpowered us,” said Majali.

Although the local leaders condemned the damage caused, they said the education department was mostly to blame.

“They failed to pay a contractor to assemble the temporary structure and then declared there were no funds. But R500-million meant for education infrastructure was not spent and had to be returned to national Treasury, said Lofani.

Majali said the SGB had been to Bhisho several times to get the temporary classrooms put up, but all they got was empty promises.

“Unprofessional behaviour of Bhisho officials resulted in this mayhem,” said Majali.

Lobi said: “Word came on Thursday from Bhisho that there was no money to pay the contractor to erect the temporary structure. This triggered the anger of the children. We strongly condemn burning of the school as it is no solution, but education department were roleplayers in this mess.”

Police spokesman Captain Mduduzi Godlwana confirmed the hostage situation and that a case of arson had been opened, but there had been no arrests.

The education department could not be reached for comment.