A security guard at Mthayiza Primary school in Gutshwa village in Mpumalanga was brutally murdered during a break-in on Thursday night.

The guard was shot 20 times.

According to the Mpumalanga education department, thugs broke into the school's computer centre and made off with laptops, projectors, routers and computers then destroyed surveillance equipment.

 Mpumalanga education MEC Bonakele Majuba condemned the incident.

“It is indeed with heavy heart that our schools are inundated with such high spate of heinous crime of destroying, stealing public property and the killing of innocent lives at the time when our preoccupation must be that of fighting the invisible enemy – COVID 19," Majuba said.

Majuba requested communities to isolate and expose all criminals by working with the police.

"These criminals are hell-bent on destroying our future generation's heritage by breaking into in our schools." Majuba said.