SA Unrest: More Than 50 Schools Looted and Vandalised in KwaZulu-Natal
- The KwaZulu-Natal Education Department says that a large number of schools were targeted during the unrest that took place last week
- Many of the schools were completely looted and vandalised while some were completely burned
- The National Professional Teachers’ Organisation (Naptosa) has called the act of burning down schools unforgivable
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During the violent protest that took place in KwaZulu-Natal in the past week, more than 50 schools were reportedly burnt, looted and vandalised.
Provincial Education Departmental spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi confirmed that in addition to the schools, two circuit offices and two education centres were damaged as the violence in the province continued to spread, according to TimesLIVE.
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City Press reports that the areas most affected by the looting are Umlazi and Pinetown.
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Mahlambi said the department is unable to fully determine how many schools have been impacted at the moment due to the limited mobility of school officials because of lockdown.
“Some were looted, torched and damaged. We have not been able to quantify the extent of the damage and the number of schools at this point in time," he said.
Mhlambi added that the department was in contact with district offices to figure out how many schools had been vandalised and looted as well as the amount of the damage.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the National Professional Teachers’ Organisation (Naptosa) expressed discontent at photographs of a Kwazulu-Natal school that had been burned to the ground. They called the act sickening and unforgivable.
Naptosa’s executive director Basil Manuel stated that there was no reason to burn down the school after completely looting it.
"Having stolen everything in the school, there could be no reason other than callous destructiveness for the school to be burned. If it is to inflict hurt on government, there is the ballot box to do so," he said.
Naptosa also called out the offenders for "stealing the future of children" and disrupting their lives.
Authorities warn KwaZulu-Natal residents against collecting contaminated dead marine life
In other KwaZulu-Natal news, Briefly News reported that authorities are asking the public to avoid picking up or collecting dead marine life off the Umdloti and Umhlanga coastline. The coastline has been contaminated with toxic chemicals and could be dangerous to humans.
The eThekwini Municipality reported mass fish and crustacean deaths between the Umhlanga and Umdhloti Lagoons north of Durban on Wednesday afternoon, according to IOL.
The eThekwini Municipality also recommended that the public avoid any recreational activities, such as fishing or surfing, as well as bait collection and the collection of deceased species.
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Source: Briefly News
