How do you steal an entire school? The famous quote by Desmond Tutu springs to mind – “There is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” And while stealing an entire school is not something one should aspire to one small step at a time, it does seem like an impossible mission.
But that’s exactly what happened to Uitzig Secondary School in Cape Town.
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The school was forced to shut its doors to learners in 2019 after it had been declared structurally unsafe and plagued by ‘gangsterism and vandalism’ by the Department of Education following an inspection. Within six months of closing, the school was reduced to only its foundation.
Thieves stole and sold the entire school brick-by-brick from the building materials to the plumbing and electrics to the furniture it housed. Everything and anything that made up the school was torn down and sold. The community believes that “drug addicts” are responsible for the theft, as a way to feed their addiction.
Here are images of Uitzig Secondary School a few years apart from a complete building to a now vacant piece of land:
As reported in the Daily Mail – The school used to boast a grand entrance and reception area, five classroom blocks and two toilet areas, but things went downhill after ‘drug gangs took over the area’.
A former caretaker who spoke to the Daily Mail on condition of anonymity said that “Pupils became scared and there was just constant vandalism. The school became run-down, and, in the end, it was closed down altogether.
“I do not joke when I say the day after it was closed, the thieves moved in and stole the school brick-by-brick and window-by-window until it was all gone.
“There was nothing left except the concrete floors where the buildings used to be and now it is just a derelict open space where bad people hang out.”
Western Cape public schools continue to be targeted by criminals.
The public is urged to report any suspicious activity in and around a school to SAPS or the Safe Schools hotline (0800 45 46 47) immediately. Please do not underestimate your ability to assist the police to interrupt, investigate and apprehend the perpetrators of these criminal actions by being the eyes and ears on the ground. Even the smallest piece of information can be key.
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Picture: Google Maps