A fire that started at Riverlea High School, west of Johannesburg, on Sunday night destroyed 11 classrooms.
Preliminary reports state that the fire started in an empty classroom at about 6pm and swiftly spread, destroying an entire block of 11 classrooms.
The aftermath of this fire has a direct impact on approximately 230 students because the furniture in these 11 classrooms has been completely destroyed.
Four of the impacted classrooms were occupied by grade 8 pupils, while the other classrooms were empty.
The entire block of boys’ restrooms was also destroyed by the fire, which will affect all of the male students at the school.
According to Matome Chiloane, the MEC for education in Gauteng, the department is making every effort to guarantee that when classes resume on May 5, learning proceeds with the least amount of disruption possible.
Chiloane further stated that a temporary plan has been put in place to use the school hall for affected learners while arrangements are being finalised for the delivery of four mobile classrooms, fully furnished, to replace the damaged classrooms.
No injuries reported
“We condemn this senseless act of destruction in the strongest possible terms. An attack on a school is an attack on the future of our country, and acts of this nature must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” said Chiloane.
Additionally, Chiloane appealed to the public to share information about the incident.
“We appeal to anyone who may have information about this incident to assist law enforcement in their investigations.
“We remain committed to supporting the Riverlea High School community and will provide further updates as the situation develops,” he said.
The City of Johannesburg Emergency Management Service (EMS) confirmed responding to the fire incident.
“The classes that caught fire are located on the old site or building. No injuries were reported during this incident, and the cause of the fire was not determined,” said EMS spokesperson Xolile Khumalo.
Khumalo further urged residents to take extra care of all electrical appliances. “Please report all incidents as soon as they occur,” Khumalo said.
