- Four classrooms and a resource centre at a school went up in smoke on Sunday.
- Two people have been arrested for arson and burglary.
- The Eastern Cape education department said the damage amounted to R113 477.
Two individuals, one of which is a pupil, have been arrested by the Eastern Cape police for breaking into Wilson Mayekiso Junior Secondary School in Tsomo.
They stole food which was meant to feed learners, after which the school building was set alight.
The fire destroyed four classrooms and a resource centre.
The Eastern Cape education department said the damage caused by the fire amounted to R113 477.
Computers, Covid-19 personal protective equipment, pots, stoves, food, teaching and learning support material and administration office equipment were either stolen, damaged or destroyed in the blaze.
It included 10 desks, seven computers, two science kits, 15 workbooks, seven textbooks, a photocopy machine as well as kits for netball, soccer and cricket.
A steel cabinet, a television set, a DVD player, fridge, microwave, a kettle, two gas stoves and two pots are also missing.
Covid-19 equipment lost include four thermometers, two spray cans and 10 sanitiser bottles.
The Eastern Cape police arrested a 20-year-old Grade 12 pupil and a 30-year-old in Ntsume, near Tsomo, on Tuesday.
The pupil does not attend the school, according to police spokesperson Captain Khaya Tonjeni.
A case of arson was registered on Sunday.
Tonjeni said the arrest came after a 72-hour activation response plan was put into action.
He said some of the groceries stolen from the school was found in possession of the two individuals.
He said the two were detained and they face charges of arson and business robbery.
They are expected to appear in the Tsomo Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
Eastern Cape education MEC Fundile Gade has called the incident an "act of thuggery and criminality".
"This incident signals two things about the society we live in - poverty and erosion of community values where lawlessness has been made an order of the day. Leaders of that community, together with the SGB of the school, have an obligation to protect the future of their kids," Gade said.
The Eastern Cape chairperson of the National Association of School Governing Bodies, Mongameli Peter, said: "Any form of destruction of property executed by any persons is condemned in the strongest terms and, as such, those charged with affecting order and justice must be allowed to do their work."
He added: "It's really important that all of us, as the school community in that area, support the efforts to apprehend and act on the perpetrators, as the consequences of this act are dire to the nation we are building."
The National Association of Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) has welcomed the speedy arrest.
"Naptosa is regretful to learn about this disheartening act by irresponsible youth. This is a real setback for the future of the school, especially in a province where infrastructure is a challenge. We hope that the law will take its course. We are thankful to the police for the prompt response to the matter,” said Naptosa CEO Loyiso Mbinda.
An NEC member of Congress of South African Students, Alipheli Mgoduka, said it would comment once it has met with its local members to get a full report of the incident.
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