Nothando Makhubela
Police in Mpumalanga believe that community members were responsible for torching Wesselton Primary and Reggie Masuku Secondary Schools in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, on Tuesday.
Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, a spokesperson for the Mpumalanga police, said that the community was to blame for the disruption rather than illegal miners – who have been blamed on social media and by the provincial education department for the attacks.
A video that surfaced on social media showed young children fleeing the school while burning tyres and smoke billowed around them, with a voice in the background urging them to run.
Mohlala told Scrolla.Africa: “As police, we believe that it was the community who started the protests, and it led to the burning of the schools.
“People frequently hold foreigners responsible for crime.
“Illegal miners – zama zamas – reside far from the community. It’s not possible. We are still looking into this; no arrests have been made so far.
“The protesters were throwing bricks at vehicles on the N11. They were also burning tyres in the road. When the police intervened, the protesters threw bricks at police members. As a result rubber bullets were used to disperse the protesters,” he added.
The education department, however, blamed illegal miners for the incident.
It is alleged that suspected gang members demanded the release of people who had been apprehended in connection with illegal mining-related activities nearby.
Mpumalanga Department of Education head of communication. Jasper Zwane. told Scrolla. Africa that the incident may have stemmed from a police operation last week.
“According to the information we have, last week the police in Ermelo arrested a group of men who were illegally mining coal and confiscated their cars,” he said.
“Those who were not arrested resorted to a wild protest in the community and ended up disrupting two schools, namely Reggie Masuku Secondary School and Wesselton Primary School.”
The department has engaged a psychosocial specialist to provide counselling to the traumatised learners and teachers.
There have been no reports of injuries to learners.
Vusi Shongwe, Mpumalanga MEC for Community, Safety, Security, and Liaison, has made sure that the two schools received police patrols.
While visiting the schools, Shongwe vowed that such an incident would never happen again and urged the community, pupils, and teachers to unite to overcome the tragedy.
“You must not be discouraged. We are here to reassure you that what happened on Tuesday at the school will not happen again. We will ensure that the local station patrols the schools regularly,” Shongwe said.
Pictured above: Schools being torched
Image source: @TheCitizen
