Limpopo Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, has urged communities to work together to ensure schools are always protected.
She was speaking following a visit to four schools that were vandalised during school holidays. Ramathuba conducted her first school visit as Premier, accompanied by the province’s Education MEC Mavhungu Lerule-Ramakhanya.
Four schools were vandalized and set alight on Friday,5 July 2024. Textbooks, printing machines and stationery were some of the things that were stolen and destroyed by the fire at Gidela High School in Blinkwater.
Ramathuba said that she is saddened by the incidents that occurred in the schools. Addressing the learners, she said that the perpetrators might be members of the community and close relatives of the learners. She added that those who are behind the vandalism of schools are ruining their future.
“You know the people who did this. They are your uncles and cousins. They have expensive phones, but they do not work. They steal your school laptops and sell them to buy expensive gadgets. This is complete jealousy, maybe the people failed to pass during their time at this school and are trying to sabotage the current learners,” Ramathuba said.
She urged the learners and teachers not to be discouraged by the loss of their study material, encouraging the learners to work hard to achieve excellent National Senior Certificate results. She advised teachers to dedicate more time to teaching and learning especially considering the recent incidents.
“How many schools did we build last year, and these kinds of situations take us back. I am not going to allow that,” Ramathuba said.
Ramathuba added that she will work closely with the department and the MEC to ensure nothing compromises the education of learners in the province.