Disgruntled residents torch Benoni school
Three classrooms at Barcelona Primary School in Etwatwa were torched on Tuesday night, allegedly by disgruntled residents.
Authorities say some members of the local community were apparently unhappy with the material used to build the school near Benoni.
Ekurhuleni emergency services spokesperson William Ntladi says they were called out to the scene on Tuesday evening.
"We received a call at around 8pm in the evening about a school structure that was on fire. On arrival we found three classes that were well alight, we managed to save one of the classrooms but unfortunately, the other two were already engulfed in flame and sustained intense structural damage," says Ntladi.
Ntladi says its believed the community wants improved infrastructure.
"As per the information we received from one of the school governing bodies on site, members of the public are complaining about the material used to build the school, of which is mobile classes. So apparently, they are requesting a better school that need to be build, hence there was an attack on this mobile school structure.”
Gauteng Education spokesperson Steve Mabona says the fire has disrupted teaching and learning at the school.
"The learners are not at school as we are continuing to assess the damage to estimate on how much it will cost to make an intervention. The Department of Infrastructure Development is continuing with a process of building a new school in that area.”
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