Recently, the Barcelona Primary school in Etwatwa, Benoni was torched overnight and this incident has left an estimated 2000 learners without a learning environment as several classrooms caught fire.
Police constable Thabo Mbangata said it is suspected that community members are responsible for the torching.
According to reports, this started with mobilisation, with the community and Gauteng Department Of Infrastructure Development officials being held hostage; this was followed by destruction of the school Principal’s office.
In an interview, department’s spokesperson, Bongiwe Gambu explained:
The Gauteng Department of Education is still adamant that any property facilities and infrastructure that is intentionally destroyed by our communities will not be replaced.
Gambu also emphasised that Gauteng Infrastructure Development only moves at the instruction of its client departments, and in this case it is Gauteng Education, once they have an approved budget from Gauteng Treasury.
Additionally, the Education Department will need to bring along a scope to them and this is a a long process on its own.
It is said that community members have also shared that there were promises of developments since 2016, but nothing has materialised from those promises as yet.
Gauteng Education Minister Panyaza Lesufi had also revealed that 100 schools need to be built in the province.
Gambu added that the Gauteng Provincial government has to make sure that it works speedily as possible without breaking the very same legislation that is meant to deal with issues of corruption within the system.
