According to the spokesperson of the North West Department of Education, Elias Malindi, the principal of Mothelesi Secondary School received a call on Saturday at 06:00 from one of the learners who reside close to the school and informed him about the fire.

He confirmed that one classroom and the principal's office had been gutted by the fire. Malindi explained that one printer, two photocopiers, classroom furniture, a fridge and files were damaged. He says the cause of the fire remains unknown at the moment. 

Malindi raised concerns over the torching of schools, which ultimately adds to the infrastructure woes the department is trying to address.

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"I take this time to strongly condemn the torching of Mothelesi Secondary School. Such incidents delay the delivery of quality education to the learners. This incident is going to exacerbate the infrastructural backlogs faced by the province. I want to call the law enforcement agencies to apprehend anyone behind this horrible incident," he adds.

The MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi, pleaded with members of the public to work with the department to protect school infrastructure. This is after stating that the department relies on communities to ensure that much-needed resources are taken care of.

ALSO READ: Another North West school gutted by fire

Malindi says learners who were supposed to attend extra lessons on Saturday could not attend due to the fire. 

Anyone with information has been requested to contact the local police.

OFM News