Teachers at a Cape Flats school are pleading with skelms to stop vandalising and stealing from their school as they fear laaities will not be able to return next week.
Gail Wyngaard, the deputy principal at Parkfields Primary School in Hanover Park, says opportunistic thieves are targeting the school after the roofs of several classrooms were ripped off by strong winds a few weeks ago.
She says the school, which has 870 pupils, has been hit by five burglaries in seven weeks.
The first two burglaries took place on 21 and 22 June where skelms stole newly fitted lights from two classrooms, badly damaging ceiling boards in the process.
Wyngaard says: “Both junior and senior boys’ toilets were also vandalised as locks were cut to gain entry.
“Basins were destroyed and taps were removed. Pipes connecting the water to cisterns were all removed, leaving these facilities inoperative to our learners.”
In July, four classrooms flooded after their roofs were blown off by the gale force winds but Wyngaard says while waiting for the repairs to be done, skelms returned three more times, climbing through the roof and stealing lights, electrical fittings, teaching resources and stationery.
When the Daily Voice visited the school on Monday, the caretaker explained that one skelm even hurt themselves and left behind a blood trail in one of the classrooms.
Wyngaard says the estimated cost of the vandalism and theft is about R45 000, money the school does not have.
“Each time there is burglary, we report it to the police but nothing comes of the case.
“We have been told that there are people selling the items but nobody wants to come forward and identify them.
“This is a no-fees school so we cannot afford 24-hour security.
“Our plea to the community is not to buy these items and to help us protect the school which services their children.”
She says contractors arrived on Monday to repair the damaged roofs but were unable to work due to the rain.
“Another serious concern is that these repairs will not be completed in time for us to receive all our learners.
“We appeal to members of the community to report any trespassers seen on the school grounds after hours,” she says.