Cape Town - Theft of water pipes and copper fittings at Crystal High School in Hanover Park has resulted in extensive flooding of classrooms and other areas, prompting the school to take the decision to send learners home and suspend academic activities for the day.
Western Cape Education Department (WCED) spokesperson Millicent Merton said the school in Greenturf Road, reported a burglary on Wednesday night.
Merton said the perpetrators entered a classroom via a window and stole copper fittings and water pipes. She added that all classrooms on the first floor were flooded yesterday.
“The estimated cost of the damage is not available at this stage. The school has been closed for the day (yesterday) and the City of Cape Town is attending to the problem of water running constantly,” Merton said.
Crystal High School School governing body chairperson Yaseen Johaar said flooding caused damage to school resources, equipment and stationery.
The school does not have 24-hour security but is provided with this during the school holidays by the WCED.
“Break-ins are now becoming more common at schools and places of worship and it’s really sad. The security at schools during holidays are not of a good standard because break-ins happened even when security was on the premises,” Johaar said.
“We are working hard to make it possible for our learners to resume their education, especially our matric learners.”
Videos and images of flooded passageways showed the extensive flooding. “It’s really a lot of damage. The majority of the classrooms are flooded on the ground floor and upstairs,” Johaar said.
In a statement from the school, principal Dino Abrahams said: “Unfortunately, the extent of the damage was so severe that we could not commence with normal schooling (yesterday), and had to turn our learners back home. We have suffered major damage to our school building, classrooms, as well as teaching materials.”
Abrahams said that normal teaching and learning would take place today, but the school would be conducting further damage assessments in the morning.
The school appealed to the community to report any information related to the incident to the Philippi police station on 021 690 1577.
“It is heartbreaking that it is our own community that is breaking down our school, our second home, our place of learning.”
Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said Philippi police attended to the complaint yesterday and were investigating a case of burglary.
“Preliminary reports suggested that unknown suspects entered the premises and vandalised the building. The suspects fled in an undisclosed direction and are yet to be arrested,” Swartbooi added.
Anyone with information can call the investigating officer, Detective Warrant Officer Robin Basson, on 021 690 1516, or to call Crime Stop on 08600 101111.