Garies High School: Education Department to Assess Damage After 11 Classrooms, Admin Block Were Gutted by Fire

• The Nothern Cape Education department will on Monday assess the damage caused by a fire that ravaged Garies High School in the Namakwa District
• According to reports, the blaze gutted 11 classrooms, an admin block, toilets and learning materials
• Authorities are putting in place measures to ensure that the school's 216 learners, including 21 matriculants' education, are not affected

The Northern Cape Education department is faced with the mammoth task of assessing the damage at the Garies High School after a fire broke out on Saturday.

The blaze, which firefighters contained after many hours, reportedly completely destroyed 11 classrooms, an administration block, toilets and learners' learning materials.

According to SABC News, authorities from the provincial education department will visit the school on Monday to assess the damage and pave the way forward. In a statement, the department's spokesperson Geoffrey Van der Merwe said measures to assist pupils and staff are being implemented. He said:

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"At this stage, the exact cause of the fire is not clear nor arson is suspected, the fire is a devastating blow as the school serves several surrounding communities in the Kamiesberg municipality and also accommodates Grade 12 learners."

TimesLIVE reports that Namakwa Civic Movement's Donne-lee Jano said the shortage of trained firefighters and firefighting equipment in the Namakwa area must be addressed urgently.

Illegal Zimbabweans trying to leave South Africa turned back at Beitbridge Border: "We just want to go home"

In more news, Briefly News reported that illegal Zimbabwean nationals who are voluntarily returning to Zimbabwe are being turned back at the Beitbridge border because they do not have enough documents to go to their country.

Thousands of Zimbabweans are returning to their home country despite the six-month extension on the Zimbabwe Exception Permits (ZEP). The special permits scheduled to expire on 31 December 2022 will now expire on 30 June 2023. Although the extension is a relief to many, some are going back permanently due to safety reasons.

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According to News24, the migrants said they were returning to Zimbabwe because they could no longer stand the vigilantism in South Africa.

Source: Briefly News