- Unemployed criminals burned down classrooms and a library at Riverlea High School on Tuesday evening to steal valuable copper cables.
- The Gauteng education department needs around R45-million to repair the terrible damage caused by the fire at Riverlea High School.
Poverty and unemployment in Riverlea have led to criminals burning down a local school to steal copper cables.
A section of Riverlea High School, including classrooms and a library, was set on fire on Tuesday evening.
Police checked the school and ruled out an electrical fault. They believe criminals started the fire to steal copper and hide the evidence.
This is not the first fire at the school. A row of classrooms burned down in 2007, and another row was set on fire in early 2025.
Community leader Ahmed Sims said unemployed young men in the area are targeting the school because they have no jobs.
“Once the child has completed their matric, their parents also stop maintaining them, and this leads to crime,” he said.
Sims said the thieves burn the buildings because it makes it difficult to link the crime to anyone.
Bishop Dulton Adams, the chairperson of committees for the Gauteng Legislature, said the crime is a result of people having nothing.
“Riverlea, like other townships, has the worst pockets of unemployment and poverty and people living below the bread liners,” said Adams.
He said the attackers just want to stop the school from moving forward and steal items they can resell.
He asked the Riverlea community to work together to protect the schools in their area.
Gauteng Education MEC Lebogang Maile strongly criticised the fire and said there is no excuse for destroying a school.
“No matter how angry you are, you can’t burn down a school,” said Maile.
It will cost about R45-million to fix Riverlea High School. The education department is already struggling with a lack of money.
Scrap copper prices in South Africa ranged between R115 and R168 per kilogram in March 2026. Burnt cable costs between R115 and R135 per kilogram.
Pictured above: Riverlea High School.
Image source: Supplied
