- 42 schools in the Western Cape were vandalised during the winter holidays.
- The damage to the schools is estimated at around R800 000.
- Some of the schools had security guards and cameras in place.
More than 40 Western Cape schools were vandalised during the winter school holidays.
The provincial education department said 42 schools had reported incidents of vandalism and burglary while they were closed in June and July. Last year, incidents were reported at 38 schools.
The department said it had provided "holiday security" to 417 schools.
Education MEC David Maynier described all the incidents as "minor in nature".
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Items stolen or damaged included: bathroom fixtures, fencing, solar panels, stationery and cleaning materials, tablets and other technology equipment, security and electrical equipment, and bicycles.
Maynier said:
"That means that nearly a million rand that could have been spent on educating our learners now must be spent on fixing wanton damage."
Some of the schools targeted during the holiday had security guards, cameras, and other security features in place, added Maynier.
"We need to better understand what our schools need to ensure that they are safe from criminal attacks. Community participation plays a pivotal role in keeping our schools safe," he said.
"Our schools have reported the cases to SAPS, and I will seek a meeting with the provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Thembisile Patekile, to discuss progress on these and the cases reported by our schools and the department previously."