SIPHELELE NKETO

SCHOOLS are supposed to be a safe place for learning and teaching. But Thembalethu Secondary School in Kokstad, KwaZulu-Natal, has been turned into a hunting ground for thugs.

This week, the school, near Mphela informal settlement, suffered another break-in following countless burglaries since May.

To find broken windows and removed window glasses has become a daily habit for school learners and teachers.

This criminality affects teaching and learning, as learners are subjected to difficult conditions such as classes without windows, even in cold temperatures.

Apparently thugs take advantage of the school’s lack of security and steal electric cables among other things.

Police confirmed a single case of business burglary opened on July 15, where thugs gained entry through a window in a Grade 8 classroom and stole electric cables worth over R15 000. In that case, no arrests have been made yet, according to police spokesperson Sergeant Mosa Hlaki. The school principal refused to comment to the Post about the burglaries. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education spokesperson Muzi Mahalmbi said that the issue of crime in schools has become a serious problem in South Africa.

“Just this week, the premier and the MEC were at Igagasi High School in the Umlazi district where cameras were installed to curb criminal activities happening at the school. Similarly, that school has experienced the same with computers, doors and windows etc being stolen,” he said.

He added that break-ins at schools delay service delivery and also appealed to communities to refrain from buying stolen goods.