The Khayelitsha Education Forum (KEF) is calling for a new approach to dealing with break-ins at schools.
At least 41 incidents of break-ins and vandalism, affecting 34 schools, took place over the festive season (December last year and January).
Most of the incidents are said to be minor, with two major incidents reported.
Western Cape Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer said there was a significant decrease compared to the 59 incidents reported during December 2020-January 2021 (bearing in mind the 2020-’21 holiday was much longer), yet it nevertheless remains a serious concern.
She said items stolen include IT and audio-visual equipment, electrical cables and fixtures, fencing, water pipes and ablution fixtures, air-conditioning units, gas tanks, stationery, kitchen equipment, Covid-19 safety supplies, bicycles and tools.
“There were also incidents of vandalism, particularly the smashing of windows as well as damage to school buildings during burglaries,” Schäfer said. “The total cost of repairs and replacing stolen property is still being calculated and will add a further financial burden that neither the department nor our schools can afford.”
KEF secretary Mthetho Haido described the vandalism and burglaries of schools as “most unfortunate”.
“Our parents, the community rely on these schools to see their children receive an education to equip themselves for the future,” he said. “In most cases the culprits target computer labs, which are very important for the learners and the administration of schools.”
Haido believes the Western Cape Education Department’s support for resources is very minimal, the result of their limited budget. “We also have a problem of people employed not being very committed to their work,” he said. “In most cases when these incidents occur you find out there was no one on site, something that needs to be addressed going forward.”
Haido said there’s a need to bring the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and Neighbourhood Watch on board, to be stationed at school to fight this scourge. He said criminals take chances when they know people are going to be away, and especially in December.
“The approach to break-ins needs to change because you find out that in most cases there’s no budget for security. So we need a coordinated approach, working with the department, school governing bodies (SGB) and education forums to address this matter,” he said.
Schäfer said the WCED provided holiday security to 477 schools over the December/January holiday, but in some instances, even security guards and cameras did not thwart determined criminals.
“I again urge the public to report any suspicious-looking activity around a school to the police or the Safe Schools hotline (0800 45 46 47) immediately,” she said. “Please do not underestimate your ability to assist the police to interrupt, investigate and apprehend the perpetrators of these criminal actions by being the eyes and ears on the ground. Even the smallest piece of information can be key.”
Someone somewhere knows them, and we urge people to do the right thing and report anything that could assist in criminals being caught and punished, Schäfer said.
