A total of 42 Western Cape schools were burgled or vandalised during the festive season holidays, resulting in calls from the provincial Education Department for better security at facilities.
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This is despite the department providing subsidies for holiday security at 439 schools over the December/January period.
However, 48 incidents of burglary and/or vandalism, affecting 42 schools, were nonetheless reported during the holiday period, an increase from the 41 incidents at 34 schools reported during the previous December/January recess.
“Stolen or damaged items included bathroom fixtures and water piping, water pumps and meters, drain covers, fencing, windows and doors, computers, IT and audio-visual equipment and cabling, lights and electrical equipment, kitchen appliances and tools, bicycles, garden tools, and consumables like toilet paper and black bags,” said MEC for Education, David Maynier, adding that the total cost of repairs and replacements was yet to be properly calculated.
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“It is disappointing that our department and our schools will once again have to divert funding that could have been spent on the educational needs of our learners to cover this entirely unnecessary cost.”
According to Maynier, some arrests had been made in retaliation to the incidents and the department was monitoring these cases.
“We again make this appeal to the public: do not underestimate your ability to thwart crime in our schools.”
“Reporting any suspicious activity in the vicinity of our schools to South African Police Services (SAPS) or the Safe Schools hotline (0800 45 46 47) immediately can make all the difference in apprehending the perpetrators and recovering stolen property.”
“If you see something, speak up. There must be no place where the criminals targeting our schools can hide,” Maynier said.
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Picture: Cape{town}Etc Library