Parliament – It could cost government hundreds of millions of rand to rebuild schools and repair damage caused by arsonists who set alight over 20 schools in Limpopo’s Vuwani area, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on Tuesday.
Speaking at a media briefing ahead of a debate on her budget in Parliament, Motshekga said a full assessment of the damage was being done, early estimates suggest that the cost both financially and socially could be very high.
“This is going to have enormous financial implications for the sector and we are awaiting reports from the province to assess the true extent of the damage, but I am afraid initial reports do not look good and the damage could be as high as hundreds of millions of rand,” she said.
“We continue to condemn the violence and call on everyone to make sure that education facilities are protected and ensure our future generation’s progress is not hampered by the actions of the day.”
The schools in Vuwani were set alight by protesters in a week which saw residents of Vuwani take to the streets after losing a high court battle to have the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) decision to incorporate their area under the planned Malamulele municipality.
African News Agency