Theft, vandalism worsens at schools over summer holidays in Western Cape

Food for pupils, bathroom and electrical fixtures, fencing, security equipment, windows and appliances were damaged or stolen from schools during the summer holidays in the Western Cape.

Education MEC David Maynier said there had been an increase in cases of burglary and vandalism, despite increasing the number of schools with subsidised holiday security to 480.

“During the summer holidays 47 incidents of burglary or vandalism were reported by 34 schools,” he said.

“This is a significant increase in incidents from the 26 reported at 24 schools during the same period last year. While most incidents were minor, they were costly to schools in terms of the cost of replacement and the affect on school functionality.”

He urged the public to keep a close eye on their local schools and report suspicious activity to SAPS or the Safe Schools hotline 0800-454647.

“It is disappointing that our schools will again have to allocate time and resources to cover these losses. Our schools are precious community resources and they must be protected and cared for by all of us.”

TimesLIVE