Watch: Gauteng school set ablaze, Lesufi blasts ‘mindless thugs’
Tokelo Secondary School in Evaton, South Gauteng, has been gutted by fire in the early hours of Thursday 2 January.
As most learners enjoy the last of their school holidays before returning to classrooms across the country in mid-January, learners in Evaton have been dealt a fierce blow to their educational prospects. Gauteng Education and Youth Development MEC Panyaza Lesufi confirmed the Tokelo Secondary School had been engulfed by fire, destroying most of the institution’s infrastructure.
Watch: Tokelo Secondary School gutted by fire
While the cause of the blaze has not yet been officially established, initial indicators point to arson. Lesufi condemned the alleged arson attack, stating:
“Mindless thugs burned a school in Evaton this morning. But why?”
This is the second tragedy to strike the already beleaguered school in the past five months. Tokelo Secondary School, which services the community of Evaton Small Farms, was shoved into the spotlight in September 2019, when a fight over a cellphone turned deadly.
Second tragedy to strike the Evaton Small Farms school
According to Gauteng education department spokesperson Steve Mabona, the two boys, aged 17 and 14, got into a physical disagreement on 10 September. The fight spiralled out of control and the 17-year-old grade 10 pupil, who suffered fatal stab wounds, died on the school grounds.
Police spokesperson Captain Mavela Masondo confirmed that the 14-year-old was placed under arrest and charged with murder, explaining:
“It is alleged that the deceased and the suspect were fighting over the phone when the suspect took out the knife and stabbed the deceased on the upper body. He was certified dead on the scene.”
This is a developing story – check back for updates.
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