WATCH | Classrooms burning at troubled Atwell Madala High School

Nine prefab classes are on fire at Atwell Madala High School in Mthatha.

Information was sketchy in the early Tuesday afternoon, but  pupils are believed to have  chased teachers away in the morning before going on a fiery rampage.

Pupils have been demanding a new school citing overcrowding and have accused the education department of breaking its promise of a new building.

The provincial department of education spokesperson, Malibongwe Mtima condemned the arson attack saying it was "huge setback" in province already crippled by infrastructure challenges. 

"We already have a huge infrastructure backlog that amounts to R71 billion. Burning of the school will not assist the situation," said Mtima. 

Teachers watched helplessly as the classes burned.

“We don’t know why they would burn the school,” said a teacher at the scene.

Twenty classes are left.

Last week’s meeting at a meeting with district education officials it was decided that education provincial bosses would visit the school to explain why the money meant to build Atwell Madala had been spent on other schools.