The police were sent to Mariannridge Secondary School in Pinetown to quell tensions after protests erupted on Tuesday allegedly over broken toilets that have not been repaired in almost a decade.

On Wednesday, the police were alerted to class disruptions at the school.

"They arrived at the school and found the pupils were not in class. After the police addressed them, half of them returned to class and the other half went home," said police spokesperson Captain Nqobile Gwala.

"No damage was reported or cases opened. The police are still monitoring the area."

The protest, which started on Tuesday, saw a classroom being set alight allegedly by disgruntled pupils. 

A case of malicious damage to property was being investigated, Gwala said.

IOL reported the protest was aimed at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education, which had not repaired the broken toilets in the last 10 years, as well as teachers who were allegedly not doing their jobs properly.

Parents allegedly locked and welded the school's gates shut in May, so that their demands should be addressed.

News24 reached out to the education department for comment, which will be added once received.

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