School break – in during loadshedding

By Emily Setona

QWAQWA – Qwaqwa Combined school was broken into during a long period of loadshedding, and the criminals shamelessly walked away with the food that the school buys for the children’s feeding scheme.

Prince Lehlakola the principal of the school was shocked to arrive to a situation that has become a common occurrence at his school. “ This was not the first time that we have had this type of break – in. When I arrived in the morning the caretaker informed me that he picked up a trail of papers strewn around all the way to the school gate from the office and noticed that there was something strange when he went close to the office. The door was open,” Lehlakola said when speaking to The Guard.

According to the caretaker when he realised that this might be a break – in at the school he waited for the principal to arrive and they contacted the police as soon as they both confirmed that the office was indeed broken into. Warrant officer Mmako Mophiring says that there has been a series of break – ins at schools in Phuthaditjaba especially during long periods of loadshedding.

“Criminals are taking advantage of loadshedding and using the opportunity when it is extremely dark for them to go and commit their crimes. During such periods of time school alarm systems are disable so this makes it easy for criminal elements to take full advantage,” Mophiring said.

“The criminals took all the food in the schools food storage room and two monitors one of which was used for the surveillance system, warrant officer Potsani attended to our case and came with his team to dust for fingerprints and take statements from members of the school,” Lehlakola said.