Thievery and vandalism have become a recurring issue in Hanover Park schools, causing extensive damage to their facilities. Such incidents have increased in recent times, causing distress among the school community.

Parkfields Primary School Break-In

One of the notable incidents occurred at Parkfields Primary School, where thieves forcefully removed the locks from the bathroom doors and stole basins, chrome taps, and pipes from three separate restrooms. According to Bronagh Hammond, spokesperson for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), the school has security personnel but on an irregular basis. An evaluation of security requirements will be carried out in response to this incident.

Crystal High School Vandalism

Another instance of vandalism occurred at Crystal High School, where copper water fittings and wiring were stolen, resulting in significant flooding in different areas of the school. Yaseen Johaar, secretary of the Hanover Park Community Policing Forum, reported that this incident mirrors a similar occurrence in June, leading to substantial water damage to the school’s ceiling and various classroom facilities.

Impact on Students

The theft of water pipes and copper fittings at Crystal High School resulted in students not having access to water on the following Monday, forcing them to bring their water bottles to school. Additionally, at Parkfields Primary School, water was left running for several hours, compounding the distress caused by these criminal acts.

School Response

Contractors were already on-site addressing the repair needs from the previous incident and were able to contain the flooding on Saturday morning. However, the cable theft resulted in electrical damage that needed to be addressed separately. The management and the School Governing Body arranged for members to be on-site on Saturday night to protect the school. The Safe Schools initiative has been informed of the situation, and an assessment of the school’s security will be conducted.

Illegal Sale of Stolen Items

The authorities attribute the ongoing theft and vandalism plaguing Hanover Park schools to the illegal sale of stolen items to copper traders. The community members are urged to report any information related to these crimes to help combat this issue.

The continued occurrence of thievery and vandalism in Hanover Park schools not only causes significant damage to school facilities but also impacts students’ learning and wellbeing. There is a need for measures to prevent these crimes and ensure the safety of schools.