A police report widely circulated on social media has gotten people speculating if an aggrieved teacher may have started the fire that gutted a Midrand school.
According to the report, a security guard opened the school gate for the teacher early in the morning. The teacher, whose identity is known to authorities, entered her classroom but later left in her car. She allegedly made threats before driving away.
“Tell the principal and other teachers that they have destroyed me, and I will show them. They have bullied me, and I’m tired,” she is alleged to have said.
Moments later the guard noticed the fire
Moments later, the guard noticed smoke in the Grade R block and ran to investigate, hearing loud noises as the fire spread rapidly.
The teacher has not been seen since.
The fire destroyed three classrooms at Dr Mathole Motshekga Primary School in Midrand’s Rabie Ridge on Wednesday morning.
The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) confirmed the incident, stating that the blaze started around 5.35am.
Police will establish the facts
“The cause of the fire is currently unknown, and SAPS were at the school to establish facts on what might have caused it,” said GDE spokesperson Steve Mabona.
Mabona added that firefighters were called to the scene and managed to contain the flame before it spread. Despite destruction to the three Grade R classrooms, teaching and learning continued as normal.
“Our psychosocial support team was dispatched to the school to provide the necessary support to affected learners and staff,” Mabona said.
No comment yet from police
Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo promised to respond to a Sunday World request for comment. This newspaper wanted to know if a suspect has been identified or if an arrest has been made. However, he had not responded at the time of publication. His comment will be added to the story when it arrives.
The GDE has committed to monitoring the situation and working closely with law enforcement to establish the cause of the fire.
Attempts to obtain a comment from Dr Mathole Motshekga had been unsuccessful at the time of publication.
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