An administration block at a Limpopo primary school has been burnt to the ground in a suspected case of arson.
According to the Limpopo education department, the incident took place on Tuesday at Tshikombani Primary School on the Nzhelele circuit and left a computer lab and the principal's office destroyed.
"Valuable documents and information and communication technology equipment such as computers and a bulk printer were lost in the fire. Firefighters were called and came to extinguish the fire, but it was too late to save the block," said the department on Thursday.
Pupils at the school were due to start exams on Monday and the department said it had already made arrangements for the school to be able to print exam papers.
"The district office is already making arrangements for nearby schools to support Tshikombani with computers and printers to ensure the smooth running of examinations," said the department.
Limpopo Education MEC Polly Boshielo thanked community members and firefighters for containing the spread of the fire.
"We are thankful to the school governing body, members of the local community and municipal firefighters for their swift action. This has really helped in preventing the fire from spreading to the classroom area. We still call on the local community to assist the police in their investigations by coming forward with information," said Boshielo.