"I am totally distressed by the situation at Manley Flats and it affects teaching at the school," said Mzwamadoda Williams, the principal at Manley Flats Primary School. The school was vandalised and burgled last weekend.
"I am totally distressed by the situation at Manley Flats and it affects teaching at the school," said Mzwamadoda Williams, the principal at Manley Flats Primary School. The school was vandalised and burgled last weekend.
According to Williams, the school – which is not fenced – was broken into. "They broke down the security gate of the kitchen, where the food for the children was stored. They took samp and beans, coffee and milk," said Williams.
He also said that they even had time to cook some of the food. They dug into the ground and stole the electric cables, from where they removed the tubing from the classes that have electricity. All doors to the other classes were broken into. He is worried that the trenches left by the thieves will cause a problem for the younger learners.
"The kitchen door cannot be locked, which now leaves the place vulnerable to criminals," he said. Classes were cancelled on Monday because of the rain. Williams said that this not the first time that an incident of this nature has happened at the school. "Over the past two years, there have been more than nine break-ins at the school," said Williams, highlighting how regularly the school has suffered at the hands of criminals.
He also said there has been minimal action taken against those who have been caught. "Some were arrested, but they were not prosecuted," he added. He said that he has reported the issue of not having security fencing to the Department of Education (DoE) many times, but has yet to get a response from them.
He said that he has reported the case to the police and the DoE district office, from where the DoE office said they will call him back, but so far there has been no response from them. Captain Victor Ningi of the SAPS confirmed the burglary, but no arrests have been made yet.
