Arson suspected after fire destroys 7 classrooms at Eastern Cape school

Provincial education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima told DispatchLIVE that the fire destroyed  seven classrooms, admin block,three storerooms, five  toilets, computer lab and staff room at Alheit van der Merwe Primary School in Aliwal North.

Damaged goods include desks, tables, chairs, computers, copiers, printers, duplicating machines, monitors, freezer, fridge, microwave, kettle, urn, filing cabinets, bed, laptop, telephones and switchboard.

Mtima said the department, working closely with police, had launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the fire.

“Preliminary reports indicate that the fire started in the toilets,” said Mtima, adding that arson was suspected.

On Wednesday morning, education MEC Fundile Gade posted pictures of the burning school on social media.

“We wake up with bad news of Alheit vd Merwe Primary School in Aliwal North, where it's burned down... It burnt down during early hours of this morning. So terrified,” read Gade's post.

The school has 976 pupils and 26 teachers.

Although Gade did not speculate on what might have caused the fire, members of the public were convinced that the school had been deliberately torched.

​“Why people are doing this in schools? They're going to complain that government is doing nothing. This is totally wrong,” one social media user commented.

Another commentator said: “Those involved must be punished severely.”

Mtima said costs of the damage were estimated at R800,000.

DispatchLIVE