Durban - BARELY a month into the new academic year, another school has been torched in the eThekwini district.
Inhlazuka Primary School, west of Umbumbulu, was torched early on Sunday morning.
A source at the school said one classroom was burnt, including its furniture and books.
Inhlazuka Primary School, west of Umbumbulu, was torched early on Sunday morning. Picture: Supplied
“They also tried to burn a second classroom but were unsuccessful,” the man said.
The affected classrooms were used by about 30 Grade 2 and 3 pupils.
The fire was contained and did not spread to the res of the classrooms at the school.
Picture: Supplied
The pupils were squeezed into classes that were not affected to continue with classes.
“This was not the first time the school was torched. It was burnt down in 2016 during a protest by community members,” the source said.
It is not known who is responsible of the latest arson attempt.
Education Department spokesperson Kwazi Mthethwa condemned the burning of the school, saying it was equivalent to destroying the future of the community.
“Without education, the community doesn’t have a future,” Mthethwa said.
Picture: Supplied
He hoped the perpetrators would be brought to book, and appealed to anyone with information on the fire to share the information with the police.
“We are making an appeal to all members of society to play a role in protecting school infrastructure,” Mthethwa said.
National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) spokesperson Thirona Moodley also said communities were not protecting the schools in the area.
What happened at the primary school was vandalism and destruction of property. As a result, it will be the pupils that will suffer.
In December, pupils from Zwelinjani Secondary School in Zwelibomvu, near Pinetown, burnt their school because they had received poor marks in their final exams.
