Witbank substation petrol-bombed at same time as nearby Duvha school

As police continued to comb for clues following an alleged arson attack on Duvha Combined School in Witbank on Tuesday, the local municipality revealed that a nearby substation had also been petrol-bombed.

The substation is believed to have been set alight between 2am and 3am - around the same time that police said a fire broke out at the school.

Municipal manager Sizwe Mayisela issued a statement condemning the damage to municipal property. He said the money needed to repair the substation - estimated to be around R600,000 - could have been better used elsewhere.

"Such acts take us backwards and are very costly to the municipality,” he said.

The Mopane substation is the main supplier of power to Duvha Park, Tasbet Park Extensions 1 and 2, and Uthingo Park. Part of the building was damaged, including cables and panels.

Duvha Combined School, where an office block was torched in the early hours of Tuesday morning, falls under the Uthingo Park area.

A team of electricians was deployed to restore electricity to the area.

Mayisela appealed to the community to safeguard municipal assets. “Members of the community must look after these assets because in essence these are their properties. When there are grievances, people should not resort to attacking municipal properties,” he said.

A case of arson has been opened. Police could not immediately comment on whether the same people were behind both apparent arson incidents.