Picture: A classroom burnt down at FM Maboa Technical School/Supplied
By STAFF REPORTER
6 April 2026 – The North West Department of Education has expressed shock after receiving a report that, in the early hours of Saturday, 4 April 2026, that one classroom in the Grade 8 block at FM Ramaboa Technical School in Itsoseng Township, near Lichtenburg, was destroyed by fire. It is reported that on the same day of the incident, in the early hours, two teachers received a call from their school principal, who was unable to come to the scene, informing them that their school was on fire.
The North West MEC for Education, Viola Motsumi said the principal urged them to rush to the school to assess the extent of the damage. Motsumi said upon their arrival at the school, the two teachers found police officers and fire department officials already at the scene.
“The police and fire department officials found the school’s gates locked and had to break the chains in order to gain access to the premises. The fire department managed to extinguish the fire. However, 48 chairs, 32 desks, a chalkboard, the ceiling, classroom tiles and textbooks were destroyed.
“We condemn the incident in the strongest terms and highlight that it is a setback to the progress made by the department in improving school infrastructure. On behalf of the department, I wish to condemn in the strongest terms this barbaric incident, which seeks to destroy learners’ education,” she said.
Motsumi further calls on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to get to the bottom of this incident and arrest whoever is responsible. She added that such culprits need to be given the harshest sentence in order to show others that destroying educational assets is not the way to go.
“As the department, we are concerned about these incidents of damage to school assets. Every time during the school recess, we receive these types of reports at our schools. I appeal to community members to remain alert to any suspicious activity at schools and to report it to their nearest police station.
“A case of malicious damage to property was opened with the local police station,” said Motsumi.
The Guardian 