From violence to vandalism, schools in Nelson Mandela Bay and the Sarah Baartman education district are under siege.
In the latest bout of wanton destruction, Hankey Senior Secondary School was stripped by opportunistic thugs at the weekend.
And in a traumatic ordeal just a few days earlier, the principal and staff of JK Zondi Primary school in Kwazakhele were held at gunpoint.
The robbers stole laptops, tablets, cellphones and vehicle keys and locked the principal in his office.
In the Hankey incident, vandals destroyed the restrooms, breaking basins and toilets.
Electrical wiring was also stolen from circuit boards and plug points.
Though the property is surrounded by a large green ClearVu fence with spikes, staff say trees in the vicinity create an access point.
The Section 21 school provides nutrition for pupils, with some allowed to take food home for their families.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Nobuntu Gantana confirmed that a case of business burglary and malicious damage to property was being investigated following a report of a break-in at the school on Saturday.
“According to reports, staff members arrived at the premises and discovered that the staffroom door had been forced open,” Gantana said.
“A heater and a kettle were reported missing.
“It was further discovered that a power box had been tampered with and electrical wires had been removed.
“In the ablution facilities, basins were found detached from the walls and left on the floor.”
School governing body treasurer Cornelius Damons estimated the damage to be more than R80,000.
“We have had minor incidents in the past but this is crippling,” Damons said.
“The thieves were only after the copper and metal, so they stripped electrical wiring and plug points and broke all the basins in the ladies toilets to get to the taps and the pipes.
“In the kitchen, they broke the backs of the fridges off to get to the copper wiring inside.”
Damons said the school supported the entire community of Hankey, where unemployment was rife aside from part-time work in the citrus fields.
“The kitchen that was broken into is called the Nutrition Kitchen, where we provide breakfast and lunch for all pupils and then there are some who take meals home to their families.
“The crazy thing is that this copper will be sold to scrap dealers who are likely parents of children at the school.
“We don’t have the kind of budget to fix all the damage.
“We renovated those restrooms last year with a sponsorship from the wind farms, and now the women’s restroom needs to be rebuilt.
“We have to get all the wiring sorted out as the school currently doesn’t have electricity and the phones are also not working.”
Damons appealed to business owners in the region to assist with sponsorships towards the repairs.
“The school can barely stay afloat with the budget allocated by the department of education, so there is definitely no budget available to replace everything that was damaged and stolen.”
The situation came to light after a Facebook post by the school went viral over the weekend.
“It is a very sad day for Hankey Secondary School,” the post reads.
“It is heartbreaking that the very institution entrusted with giving every learner hope, opportunity and the chance of a brighter future has become the target of senseless criminal acts.
“Schools are meant to be places where dreams are nurtured, futures are shaped, and young people are empowered to become the leaders of tomorrow.
“Instead, we are left to repair the damage caused by those who choose to destroy what belongs to the entire community.
“Every broken sink, damaged classroom, stolen cable and act of vandalism is more than damage to a building; it is an attack on the education, dignity and future of our learners.
“We appeal to our community to stand with us.
“Help us protect our school. Report criminal activity. Encourage respect for public property.
“We remain committed to rebuilding, restoring and continuing our mission of providing quality education to every learner who walks through our gates.
“Our children deserve better.
“Our community deserves better.
“Protect our school. Protect our learners. Protect their future.”
Gantana said police were appealing to anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward.
Meanwhile, in the Kwazakhele incident, three armed robbers entered the principal’s office at JK Zondi Primary School in Tubali Street, stealing laptops, tablets, cellphones and vehicle keys before locking the principal in his office.
Gantana said the robbers then moved through the premises, entering the staff kitchen and classrooms where they robbed staff members of additional laptops, tablets, cellphones and vehicle keys before fleeing on foot.
“Following the incident, members of the Kwazakhele social crime prevention unit immediately responded and conducted patrols in the surrounding area based on information received.
“Three males matching the description of the suspects were spotted.
“Upon noticing the police vehicle, one of the suspects dropped a grey backpack before the group fled on foot.
“Members gave chase and successfully apprehended one juvenile suspect.
“Inside the backpack, police [allegedly] recovered two laptops, a tablet and laptop chargers.
“The recovered property was positively identified by the principal as items stolen during the robbery.”
She said the swift response and co-ordinated efforts by members attached to the Kwazakhele SAPS social crime prevention unit had resulted in the arrest of six suspects.
“Further investigation and intelligence-driven operations conducted on Wednesday led police to additional suspects believed to have been involved in the robbery.
“In total, six suspects, aged between 16 and 25, were arrested.
“Police are investigating the possibility of linking the suspects to other serious crimes committed in the Motherwell area and surrounding policing precincts.”
Gantana said Kwazakhele detectives could confirm that four adults and one juvenile were in custody in connection with the case under investigation.
“The suspects are expected to appear in court for a formal bail application on Friday.”
Eastern Cape education spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima did not respond to questions by the time of publication.
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