Soshanguve Secondary High School was set alight in the early hour of Wednesday morning, the fourth school to have been burnt down in the area in the past couple of weeks.
Tshwane Emergency Spokesperson Charles Mabaso says, “In today’s incident, the administration block has been severely damaged as result of the fire which has since been extinguished”
Mabaso says, “An admin block consisting of about 12 offices was fully engulfed by fire. Fire fighters had to break the gate as well as the doors to the building to gain entry to start with fire fighting. The fire was then extinguished at just past five o’clock this morning.”
“The cause of the fire is not yet known at the moment. The SAPS will carry out an investigation; the fire department will carry out a cost determination,” added Mabaso.
Firefighters responded to a call early on Wednesday morning – that an administration block at was on fire.
In a tweet, MEC for Education in Gauteng Panyaza Lesufi said, “This morning it’s Soshanguve Secondary School. We lost four schools in a week…”
“We really don’t know what is happening in Soshanguve, this is to register our plea with the Security Cluster to protect our schools. We are dismayed to report about yet another school destroyed by fire, worse within few days in the same area. This is worrisome, it looks like same modus operandi is used, we are tempted to believe that there is a syndicate operating in the area, the sooner these cowards are arrested the better,” Lesufi said in a statement.
He added saying that collectively there has been around 22 schools vandalized in Gauteng since the beginning of the lockdown period.
All valuable equipment and furniture in the administration office was lost in the fire and the value of the loss is still to be determined.
The fire department has launched an investigation to determine the cause of fire. Police are also investigating circumstances surrounding this incident.
Soshanguve Secondary School is the latest school to be set alight in the township. The arsonists target admin offices in all the more than 7 incidents. All happened since the #lockdown. @Lesufi @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/Kx7tUsfSWR
— Matuba Mahlatjie (@MahlatjieMatuba) April 8, 2020
I can believe this, now they burning schools. This is SOSHANGUVE HIGH SCHOOL pic.twitter.com/uGt0Cxp5q1
— Tebogo Matjeke (@matjeke_tebogo) April 8, 2020
This morning it’s Soshanguve Secondary School. We lost four schools in a week @SAPoliceService @Steve_Mabona pic.twitter.com/OnfDVPdUVM
— Panyaza Lesufi (@Lesufi) April 8, 2020
The situation in Soshanguve is just aggravating, the community there has failed they’ve failed themselves, no one not even the government can help them. In a deeply wounded economy, how you guys allow 2 schools, your schools to be set alight in less than a week?
— Nhlanhla (@lie_sego95) April 8, 2020
Two schools’ admin blocks burnt down this week in Soshanguve. ?. What’s going on mara? #CoronavirusInSA#Covid19inSA#SouthAfricaLockdown pic.twitter.com/sGY1vm6gNA
— Theo Thwala (@Theodo_sy) April 8, 2020
