It looks like the Cape school was hit by a hurricane, but the massive destruction was actually caused by vandals.
|||Cape Town -
At first glance it seems that buildings at a Heideveld school have been hit by a hurricane, but then it emerges that the massive destruction has been caused by vandals.
They came by horse, on foot and by car to steal any usable part of the buildings at Heideveld Primary School.
In parts of the buildings only gaping holes remain where classroom walls once were. Ceilings have collapsed.
The vandalised buildings mainly consist of old classrooms. According to the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), the school is part of a programme to replace so-called plankieskole (schools built with inappropriate materials) with proper structures.
WCED spokesman Paddy Attwell said the contractor would have demolished the old buildings, in line with normal practice, while pupils moved into new mobile classrooms and some of the old prefabricated classrooms while construction was under way.
“However, certain individuals started to vandalise the old classrooms over the weekend.”
He said the school had called the police, who monitored the situation. The department was also alerted and the Safe Schools division then appointed additional security.
“The situation appeared to have stabilised on Tuesday. However, about 200 people arrived at the school on Wednesday and started to demolish old classrooms. They removed materials while some also stole equipment and other items from classrooms.”
Attwell said some members of the community had later returned some of the stolen items.
While the Cape Argus was at the school on Thursday, several men arrived, including two with shopping trolleys and one with an axe. One was seen sawing off a piece of roof.
Attwell said the department would work with the school to remove equipment stored in the unused classrooms.
Attwell said the WCED had asked the Department of Transport and Public Works to fast-track demolition of the unused classrooms because of safety concerns for pupils and staff.
He hoped that the contractor would complete the demolition and removal of the materials by early next week.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer November Filander said three people had been arrested for possession of stolen property and one for housebreaking. He said extra police patrols had been arranged.
ilse.fredericks@inl.co.za
Cape Argus