Petrol bomb thrown at house

Attack on the home of a pupil 'is aimed at intimidating learners and preventing them from participating in camps set up to assist them with the catch-up learning programmes'

A petrol bomb has been thrown at a house in the troubled John Taolo Gaetsewe district, Northern Cape police said.

"They threw a bomb at the house, but it missed," Lieutenant Andrea Cloete said.

Cloete could not say whether one person or a group was behind the attack, and it was unclear when the incident happened.

Basic education spokesman Panyaza Lesufi said the home belonged to the parents of a pupil in the district.

"The department believes the attack on the home of one of the learners is aimed at intimidating learners and preventing them from participating in camps set up to assist them with the catch-up learning programmes," he said.

A total of 41 of the 65 schools in the John Taolo Gaetsewe district municipality have been closed since June because of intimidation. Locals were protesting about a lack of tarred roads in the municipality.

An 18-page report on the situation, compiled by an education task team, was handed to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga last Monday.

At the weekend, Cape Town mayor Patricia de Lille said three schools had been burnt down and hundreds of pupils relocated to a camp.

Lesufi condemned the incident and the intimidation of pupils in the area.

"The department will not be deterred or intimidated from delivering on its mandate and assisting learners to catch up with the curriculum."