Five teenagers arrested on charges of breaking into Kuruman school

Five teenagers have been arrested in connection with a break-in at a primary school in Kuruman, Northern Cape, provincial police said on Tuesday.

Brig Mohale Ramatseba said the break-in was reported on Monday morning at the Mothibistad police station near Kuruman, and it took police just hours to trace the suspects.

“According to the report, 20 computer tablets and groceries were stolen after a break-in at a local primary school. The same day, about 12.30pm, 13 tablets, a heater, broom and groceries were recovered by Mothibistad detectives at places where items were hidden by a 19-year-old male suspect with four minors between 14 and 16,” Ramatseba said in a statement.

The five were immediately arrested.

“Later on, seven other tablets were recovered by the same team,” Ramatseba said.

Four of the teems, who are all minors, were released into the care of their parents, while their 19-year-old alleged accomplice was kept behind bars.

He will appear in the Mothibistad magistrate's court soon on charges of possession of suspected stolen goods, housebreaking and theft.

It was not immediately clear when the case of the minors would be heard.

Earlier this week, basic education minister Angie Motshekga's office said about 400 schools countrywide had been vandalised or burgled since the start of the coronavirus lockdown. 

The Northern Cape had at the time recorded 39 break-ins.