The North West Department of Education is dismayed by the fire incident that burned down four classrooms, desks and chairs, ceiling and roof of a school block at Tsamma Secondary School in Jouberton Township near Klerksdorp on Saturday evening around 22:00, 10 September 2022.

It is alleged that the community members residing near the school in the evening saw fire at the school, immediately called the principal and the fire department to extinguish the fire.

It is reported that stationery in the storeroom, including teachers files in the school Head of Department’s office were also damaged.

The cause of fire is still unknown at this stage.

The MEC for Education, Mmaphefo Matsemela expressed that this fire incident was a serious disaster to the department.

“I am totally lost for words following this horrible incident fire that gutted a block of classrooms; I personally regard it as a serious disaster. The grade 12 learners are currently writing their preliminary examinations, this will affect all the preparations done by the school. As a department we have a huge backlog of schools which we are currently building and renovating. Now we have to go back and build again a school that did not have any problem.

“I am pleading with the law enforcing agencies to get to the bottom of this incident so that we can know what the cause of fire was. This has seriously affected teaching and learning at this school. We have decided to reroute four mobile classrooms which were supposed to be delivered at another school as a temporary intervention. We have also arranged a nearby church to be utilised for the preliminary examinations by grade 12 learners”, said MEC Matsemela.

MEC Matsemela indicated that the Infrastructure Unit was on sight to assess the extent of the damages. A case is opened with the local SAPS for further investigation and to ascertain the cause of the fire.

 

For more information please contact:
Elias Malindi
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 072 892 8399