Community’s plea for help

Phokoane

Limpopo Department of Education has recorded more than 80 incidents of burglaries in schools since the beginning of the lockdown, department spokesperson, Tidimalo Chuene has confirmed.

Culprit utilised lockdown as an opportunistic to vandalise many schools in the province including Community Learning Centre under Phokoane circuit in Phokoane area in the Makhuduthamaga local municipality.

The learning centre was known as Abet, operating under Matime-manasoe primary school in 2000 before moved to Makgomo in 2018 were it changed its name to Community Learning Centre (current name).

Institution teaches people who didn’t pass matric and level 4, the school enrolled 37 learners this year for learning and teaching programme.

Staff members at the school expressed that school property was destroyed and stolen by nyaope addicts.  Hellen Diale, headmaster, said they were disappointed after finding out that the school was vandalised regard the incident as thuggish behaviour.

She said: “Culprit cut way fence to force fully break in, they took school furniture’s including chairs, tables, doors, brooms, floor mobs and cupboards. They also removed toilet’s windows,”

“In one of the classrooms, books which were inside the cupboard were scattered all over. We suspects Nyaopes because we found many matches sticks and wood fire at store room,”

“Instead of resume with learning programmes on June 06, we were forced to clean the mess, and then during that time our learners were stranded not knowing what to do due to the situation at school.

She said they reported the incident to the Phokoane police station but they couldn’t get help as police said they don’t have vehicle to attend the scene.

“We are calling to Samaritans to assists us with stolen and destroyed infrastructure mentioned above,” she asked for help.

“As department, we are saddened to hear that school property was vandalised and  stolen. Community and government need to work together to curb crime in schools,” Chuene said.