Hardly a week after the reopening of schools an administration block at a Mpumalanga school was burnt down.

According to the Mpumalanga department of education on Saturday a group of men were seen entering Chayaza Secondary school in Mkhuhlu in the Bushbuckridge local municipality.

Mpumalanga education spokesperson Jasper Zwane said the men were seen by security entering the school in the early hours of Saturday morning.

“The security alleged that these[men] went straight to the administration block, broke the windows and threw explosives inside the block resulting in the burning down of the entire administration block,” Zwane said.

There are more than 150 schools that have been hit by criminals in the province since the start of the lockdown in March.

Zwane said the department had opened a case of arson with the police and that they were requesting anyone with information that can assist in apprehending the perpetrators to contact the nearest police station.

Mpumalanga education MEC Bonakele Majuba asked community members to come forward with information that can assist the police with arresting the arsonists.

The department will send officials to the school on Monday to assess the damage incurred and to advise on the course of action to be undertaken going forward.