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Schools 'looting facilities'

DESPITE the introduction of a school safety plan in Gauteng, burglaries are still a problem

The Gauteng department of education launched its school safety plan last year. Since then 19 schools in the province have been burgled.

Police in Kagiso on the West Rand are looking for three suspects in connection with 15 computers that were stolen from Thuthuzekani Primary School in Swanneville in May.

A police spokesman said: "There has been a lot of break-ins at schools in Kagiso and Soweto. We want to arrest the culprits before schools close later this month.

"We think a syndicate is operating in schools in the two townships."

Answering questions in the legislature last week, Gauteng education MEC Barbara Creecy said the robberies amounted to R629886 in looted electronic and non-electronic items.

The Democratic Alliance's education spokesman, Khume Ramulifho, said: "The safety plan is not effective. There is no cooperation with the the police. We do not see any arrests or convictions. Its like schools have been turned, into looting facilities."

Jolene Kruger, a school governing body member at Summerfields Primary School in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, said there was a burglary at their school just before the schools reopened for the third term.

"We had 16 computer towers stolen. As far as I know no arrests have been made.

"Right now, as far as school security is concerned, we are not getting much help from the Department of Education.

"Because we are a former model C school we get very little financial support from the government.

"Without the Parents Teacher Association and fundraising efforts, our school would never meet its yearly requirements.

"We have to pay for security out of fundraising. We also had to do away with the night guards because it just cost too much money."

Kruger said quotations for security at the school range from R55000 and up.

"The department should be able to tell us how many people have been arrested. We feel that the MEC is avoiding taking any responsibility."

l Anyone with information on the theft of computers at a Kagiso school should call Colonel Modise on 011-696-9104 during office hours or 082-778-9416.

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