Another school in Soshanguve torched

Another school in Soshanguve north of Pretoria has been set alight, emergency services said.

Tshwane emergency services spokesperson Charles Mabaso said the blaze at the administration block at Soshanguve High School had started at about 4.30am on Wednesday.

Mabaso said the admin block was badly damaged.

“The call was initially received as municipal offices in block FF on fire, but firefighters were redirected by the SAPS after finding the municipality offices not on fire.”

The fire has since been extinguished.

Mabaso said firefighters could not detect any signs of a break-in and had to force open the gates and the doors of the building to gain entry.

Department of education spokesman Steve Mabona said community members alerted the principal to the fire. 

Mabona said the principal rushed to the school and found firefighters and police on the scene.

“However, the administration block was burnt down, literally the roof caved in and everything burnt to ashes. All valuable equipment and furniture was lost in the fire,” Mabona said.

The value of the loss is still to be determined.

Mabona said this was the fourth school to be torched in Soshanguve during the 21-day lockdown period.

“We really don’t know what is happening in Soshanguve, this is to register our plea with the security cluster to protect our schools. We are dismayed to report about yet another school destroyed by fire, worse being within a few days in the same area.

“This is worrisome, it looks like same modus operandi  is used, we are tempted to believe that there is a syndicate operating in the area, the sooner these cowards are arrested the better,” education MEC Panyaza Lesufi said.

On Monday, an admin block at Amogelang Secondary School in Soshanguve was set alight.

Lesufi said members of the community said they had heard a loud bang which sounded like an explosion coming from the school. Subsequently, a fire broke out in the administration block.

The extent of the loss is still to be determined.