11 Classrooms Destroyed in Fire at Riverlea High School, South Africans Suspect Tenders Are Incoming
- A total of 11 classrooms were destroyed in a fire at the Riverlea High School in Randburg on 28 April 2025
- Member of the Executive Committee (MEC) for Education, Matome Chiloane, believes the fire is an act of vandalism
- South Africans speculated that the fire was started so that someone could get a tender to rebuild it
Source: Twitter
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – A devastating fire at a school in the province is believed to be an act of vandalism.
A total of 11 classrooms were destroyed in a fire that broke out at Riverlea High School in Randburg on Sunday, 28 April.
An entire male toilet block was also destroyed in the blaze that started in a disused classroom
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230 pupils affected by destroyed classrooms
According to Gauteng Member of the Executive Committee (MEC) for Education, Matome Chiloane, at least 230 pupils were affected by the destruction.
He added that the fire started in an unused classroom and soon spread. Of the 11 classrooms destroyed, four were being used by Grade 8 learners. The other seven were unused. The classrooms, along with the furniture inside, were completely destroyed.
You can watch a video of the blaze below.
The MEC stated that the focus is now on ensuring that learning continues as normally as possible when school resumes on 5 May 2025.
“A temporary plan has been put in place to use the school hall for affected learners while arrangements are being finalised for the delivery of four mobile classrooms, fully furnished, to replace the lost classrooms,” he said.
The MEC also condemned the senseless act of destruction, saying that an attack on a school is an attack on the future of the country.
Source: Twitter
Devastating fires dominate the headlines in Gauteng
The latest fire in the province comes just over a week after a blaze broke out at the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital. The fire destroyed parts of the Accident and Emergency Unit on 19 April 2025.
The fire forced the closure of the unit, with many suspecting that foul play was involved.
Four days later, a second fire gutted parts of the outpatients department, which is adjacent to the Accident and Emergency Unit. Premier Panyaza Lesufi also touched on the fires during his speech on Freedom Day.
South Africans frustrated by the suspected vandalism
Social media users expressed with the incident, with many angry that people could target a school. Others suspected that the fire was deliberate in order for someone to get a tender to repair it.
Clifford Thomson said:
“Sadly, the uneducated will remain uneducated with this kind of behaviour.”
Ramonyathi Moses added:
“This is the KZN type of behaviour. Seems Gauteng is becoming like KZN.”
Elias Kobo stated:
“It seems there is a syndicate that aims to destroy public institutions by setting them alight. So far, a hospital and a school were gutted. This should be investigated and halted quickly, before more institutions are set on fire.”
Hermie Rossouw said:
“And tomorrow they will toyi-toyi because there are no classrooms.”
Vukosi Gecko Ndhambi suggested:
“Someone wanted a tender to renovate and rebuild. Straight out ANC playbook. They don't want to fund new projects, so they vandalise what was built during apartheid to issue tenders, then gloat about service delivery. Classic incompetence.”
Viren Maharaj added:
“Tenders for the repairs.”
Hundreds evacuated after Table Mountain fire
Briefly News reported that more than 190 households were evacuated following a fire on Table Mountain.
Emergency services in the Western Cape have been battling three blazes which broke out on 25 April 2025.
It's believed that the three fires were deliberately started, with the change in wind direction making matters worse.
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Source: Briefly News
