139 Looted and Damaged KZN Schools to Receive Mobile Classrooms

Thursday, July 22, 2021 at 10:54 AM by Lebogang Mashego

The Department of Basic Education in KwaZulu-Natal has tallied 139 schools damaged during the unrest in the province
Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu says looters targeted ICT classrooms as well as food storage rooms at most schools
The Department of Education will offer mobile classrooms to schools damaged by looters ahead of schools reopening

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The number of schools damaged in KwaZulu-Natal as a result of last week's violent protests has grown to 139 from the initial 50 schools reported earlier this week.

Department of Basic Education in KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Muzi Mahlambi stated that education centres and two circuit offices were also damaged in the unrest, according to News24.

139 Looted, Damaged KwaZulu-Natal Schools, Mobile Classrooms. Department of Basic Education — The Department of Basic Education in KwaZulu-Natal says 139 schools were damaged during the violent protests that took place last week. Image: Wikus de Wet
Source: Getty Images

Education MEC Kwazi Mshengu visited some of the damaged schools in the uMlazi district and stated that the department will provide mobile classrooms for schools that suffered damage, according to a report by East Coast Radio.

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Mshengu also visited a high school in Pietermaritzburg and found that four classrooms at Skhululiwe Secondary School in Elandskop were completely destroyed.

Mshengu said ICT classrooms, as well as feeding scheme food storage rooms, were targeted by looters, according to SABC News.

“There are schools where only ICT labs were targetted. Others they vandalised the kitchens and stole the groceries and others they couldn’t find anything," said Mshengu.

Classrooms were vandalised at Bavumile Primary School and 18 laptops and other teaching and learning aids were stolen, stated Mshengu.

Mshengu added that in some instances schools were stoned and windows and doors were broken. Schools are set to reopen on Monday, July 26 after an early closure due to the third wave of Covid-19 infections and revised lockdown measures.

More than 50 schools looted and vandalised in KwaZulu-Natal

Briefly News previously reported that 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.

City Press reports that the areas most affected by the looting are Umlazi and Pinetown.

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.