Burglary and vandalism cost Western Cape schools R1 million during holidays

The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) will have to cough-up over R1 million after a spate of burglaries and vandalism at schools during the June/July holiday.

The province recorded 57 incidents of burglary and vandalism at 46 schools during the winter break, while education watchdogs and authorities are calling for stricter policing and priority investigations.

Education MEC, David Maynier, said the incidents were a significant increase compared to last year, when 45 incidents took place at 39 schools.

He said property such as fencing, electrical wiring and computers were either vandalised or burgled.

“School properties are at particular risk of burglary and vandalism during school holidays, which is why the WCED subsidised holiday security at 424 schools in high-risk areas during the winter holidays,” he said.

“Despite this investment, 57 incidents of burglary and vandalism at 46 schools were reported during the June/July holiday period. This is a significant increase from the same period in 2024, when 45 incidents affecting 39 schools were reported.

“Most of these incidents were minor in nature, but nonetheless have an impact on the daily functioning of our schools.

"Items stolen or damaged include building fixtures and fencing, electrical wiring, food and cooking facilities for school meals, sports equipment, computers and other electrical equipment, plumbing features, and a variety of school consumables.

“The estimated cost of repairing or replacing damaged and stolen items is over R1 million, which is unacceptable in the difficult financial circumstances the sector currently faces. Funding will now have to be diverted from educational activities because of the selfish actions of criminals.”

Maynier said keeping schools safe required the support of communities, and quick reporting in apprehending perpetrators and retrieving stolen goods.

Police Oversight and Community Safety MEC, Anroux Marais, also expressed concern over the increase in criminal activity, saying: “Stealing from our schools is stealing from our children, and we urge any member of the public with information about these crimes to come forward immediately. We further urge SAPS to prioritise investigation of crimes in and around our schools, so that together we can keep our school properties safe.”

National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of SA (Naptosa) Western Cape chairperson, Yasierah Adonis, called on policing into such matters to be prioritised.

“The theft and destruction of essential infrastructure and equipment, including wiring, plumbing, cooking facilities, sports gear, and computers, have severe consequences for the day-to-day functioning of schools,” Adonis said.

“These incidents disrupt teaching and learning, compromise learner nutrition and safety, and force already overstretched education budgets to be further reallocated from core teaching priorities to repair work."

Sibongile Kwazi, secretary of the SA Democratic Teacher’s Union (Sadtu) said they condemned burglary and vandalism at schools as it often happened in improvised communities.

“This results in the limited financial resources that could have been utilised towards maintenance being deployed to the mending of broken infrastructure,” said Kwazi.

“Sadtu embarked on the 'I am School Fan Campaign' to garner support from all communities to view schools as prized centres for the improvement of the future citizenry. We thus reiterate the call for everyone to understand the value of schools, and to endeavour to keep schools safe from the criminal element.”

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