Two classrooms burnt in suspected arson over timetable change
'It is alleged that the incident may be linked to learner dissatisfaction with recent timetable changes introduced by the school,' the Gauteng education department said. 'The objective of this adjustment is to ensure the completion of the academic syllabus and to provide adequate revision time ahead of upcoming preliminary examinations.'
Police arrested four grade 10 pupils and one in grade 9.
Gauteng education MEC Matome Chiloane condemned the incident.
'Burning a classroom is not a form of protest, it is a criminal act that robs learners of their right to quality education. We will not tolerate such destructive behaviour, and those responsible must face the full consequences of the law,' he said.
The department said it will work with the school and relevant stakeholders to ensure that learning continues with minimal disruption. Officials will assess the damage and implement immediate interventions, including the possible deployment of temporary infrastructure.
TimesLIVE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Gauteng department faces scrutiny over R8. 4 million contracts to questionable 'military veterans'
The Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation (SACR) is slated after awarding over R8.4 million to companies claiming to be owned by 'military veterans,' despite records showing some directors were born in the 1990s. The Military Veterans Act of 2011 defines a military veteran as any South African citizen who falls into one of the following categories: Those who rendered military service to any of the military organisations involved on all sides of South Africa's liberation war from 1960 to 1994; Those who served in the Union Defence Force before 1961; and Those who became members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) after 1994 have completed their military training, no longer perform military duties, and have not been dishonourably discharged from the military. Following questions raised by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), the party stated that Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, Matome Chiloane, confirmed that the department awarded contracts to 24 companies owned by military veterans over the past three financial years. Kingsol Chabalala, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, stated that the awarded companies have provided a range of services, including security at libraries such as Driezik and Kagiso, as well as managing events for wreath-laying ceremonies and celebrations for Human Rights and Heritage Day. He highlighted that the documents, in possession of The Star , exposed a troubling trend of false claims, pointing out that many companies on the list are directed by individuals born in the 1990s, which disqualifies them from being considered genuine military veterans. 'A closer inspection of the entities reveals a disturbing pattern of misrepresentation. Notably, several listed companies have directors who were born in the 1990s, making them far too young to be categorised as military veterans. For instance, the director of RE DLALA GAME TRADING, which received R459 156.46, was born in 1990; the director of Intellectditcom, backed with R147 700, was born in 1995; and the director of MATHABATSEME ENTERPRISE, which received R486 349.50, was born in 1996.' Chabalala further asserted that this represents a clear abuse of procurement processes to secure profitable contracts, exposing how certain individuals within the department are prepared to exploit veterans' legacy and public resources for personal benefit. He further stated that the DA will contact Chiloane to seek clarification on how this clear inconsistency was ignored or tolerated. 'The DA will write to MEC Chiloane, urging him to clarify how such a blatant discrepancy went unnoticed or permitted to persist under his watch. We will also demand that he conduct an urgent investigation into those responsible for awarding these contracts and ensure that they face appropriate consequences. This process must be carried out transparently and without bias,' Chabalala added. Responding to the concerns, Mxolisi Mkhonza, spokesperson for the Department of Military Veterans, explained that serving members of the SANDF qualify as military veterans once they leave the armed forces and are registered on the South African National Military Veterans Database. This includes individuals who have completed the Military Skills Development System (MSDS), which annually recruits citizens into the SANDF. Mkhonza also noted that the department is considering amending the registration process. 'Therefore, there will be no need for an investigation as these are legitimate military veterans according to the Act in its current state. The DMV is, however, looking to begin the process of amending the Military Veterans Act in order to circumvent such gaps, which are being exploited by certain individuals.' He added that the application and verification process for recognition as a military veteran involves several requirements, beginning with proof of having served or trained as a soldier, details of which are available on the DMV website. Once approved, individuals are listed on the South African National Military Veterans Database and issued a confirmation letter. This letter enables them to apply for various benefits outlined in Section 5 of the Act, provided they meet the qualifying criteria. Mkhonza explained that the DMV can not comment on other departments' procedures but works with them across government to deliver benefits. 'As a coordinating department, we work with various other government departments at all spheres of government in rolling out benefits. Each department may then have its criteria on how to go about issuing benefits to individuals specifically earmarked as military veterans. The DMV cannot speak on processes followed by other departments, such as the SACR.' The Star's attempts to get a comment from SACR were unsuccessful. We had not received a response by publication time. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Gauteng department faces scrutiny over R8. 4 million contracts to questionable 'military veterans'
Gauteng's Department of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation faces criticism for awarding contracts to companies falsely claiming veteran ownership, raising serious concerns about misuse of public funds. The Gauteng Department of Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation (SACR) is slated after awarding over R8.4 million to companies claiming to be owned by 'military veterans,' despite records showing some directors were born in the 1990s. The Military Veterans Act of 2011 defines a military veteran as any South African citizen who falls into one of the following categories: Those who rendered military service to any of the military organisations involved on all sides of South Africa's liberation war from 1960 to 1994; Those who served in the Union Defence Force before 1961; and Those who became members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) after 1994 have completed their military training, no longer perform military duties, and have not been dishonourably discharged from the military. Following questions raised by the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL), the party stated that Gauteng MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture, and Recreation, Matome Chiloane, confirmed that the department awarded contracts to 24 companies owned by military veterans over the past three financial years. Kingsol Chabalala, DA Gauteng Shadow MEC for Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, stated that the awarded companies have provided a range of services, including security at libraries such as Driezik and Kagiso, as well as managing events for wreath-laying ceremonies and celebrations for Human Rights and Heritage Day. He highlighted that the documents, in possession of The Star, exposed a troubling trend of false claims, pointing out that many companies on the list are directed by individuals born in the 1990s, which disqualifies them from being considered genuine military veterans. 'A closer inspection of the entities reveals a disturbing pattern of misrepresentation. Notably, several listed companies have directors who were born in the 1990s, making them far too young to be categorised as military veterans. For instance, the director of RE DLALA GAME TRADING, which received R459 156.46, was born in 1990; the director of Intellectditcom, backed with R147 700, was born in 1995; and the director of MATHABATSEME ENTERPRISE, which received R486 349.50, was born in 1996.' Chabalala further asserted that this represents a clear abuse of procurement processes to secure profitable contracts, exposing how certain individuals within the department are prepared to exploit veterans' legacy and public resources for personal benefit. He further stated that the DA will contact Chiloane to seek clarification on how this clear inconsistency was ignored or tolerated. 'The DA will write to MEC Chiloane, urging him to clarify how such a blatant discrepancy went unnoticed or permitted to persist under his watch. We will also demand that he conduct an urgent investigation into those responsible for awarding these contracts and ensure that they face appropriate consequences. This process must be carried out transparently and without bias,' Chabalala added. Responding to the concerns, Mxolisi Mkhonza, spokesperson for the Department of Military Veterans, explained that serving members of the SANDF qualify as military veterans once they leave the armed forces and are registered on the South African National Military Veterans Database. This includes individuals who have completed the Military Skills Development System (MSDS), which annually recruits citizens into the SANDF. Mkhonza also noted that the department is considering amending the registration process. 'Therefore, there will be no need for an investigation as these are legitimate military veterans according to the Act in its current state. The DMV is, however, looking to begin the process of amending the Military Veterans Act in order to circumvent such gaps, which are being exploited by certain individuals.' He added that the application and verification process for recognition as a military veteran involves several requirements, beginning with proof of having served or trained as a soldier, details of which are available on the DMV website. Once approved, individuals are listed on the South African National Military Veterans Database and issued a confirmation letter. This letter enables them to apply for various benefits outlined in Section 5 of the Act, provided they meet the qualifying criteria. Mkhonza explained that the DMV can not comment on other departments' procedures but works with them across government to deliver benefits. 'As a coordinating department, we work with various other government departments at all spheres of government in rolling out benefits. Each department may then have its criteria on how to go about issuing benefits to individuals specifically earmarked as military veterans. The DMV cannot speak on processes followed by other departments, such as the SACR.' The Star's attempts to get a comment from SACR were unsuccessful. We had not received a response by publication time. The Star
The Herald
2 days ago
- The Herald
SAHRC probes ‘Open Chats Podcast' despite apology
The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has launched an investigation into derogatory remarks made by the hosts of the Open Chats Podcast against the coloured community. The popular podcast came under fire this week, sparking outrage and calls for its removal. Political parties, including the ANC, DA, PA and EFF, have condemned the behaviour and reported the matter to the commission. Despite the hosts apologising and the clip being removed from the episode, the commission said it would proceed with its investigation. 'The commission, through its Gauteng provincial office, has opened an own accord investigation and will continue with its investigative process,' the SAHRC said. 'The commission also confirms receipt of several complaints from political parties and individuals against the Open Chats podcast for the pain endured by the coloured community and other vulnerable communities as a result of offensive remarks on the episode.' The SAHRC said it has sent allegation letters to the respondents and would determine the way forward. The commission urged the public to use the media responsibly, emphasising the right to freedom of expression is not absolute and hate speech is prohibited. 'Podcasts are not exempted from the limitations. Podcast owners, hosts and guests are subject to the constitution and all applicable laws.' The commission said it would make a submission to the draft white paper on audio and audiovisual media services and online safety released by the communications and digital technologies department. 'Recent online attacks against the coloured community and other vulnerable communities again underscore the urgent need for stronger digital regulations to protect dignity, equality and human rights in the digital age. 'The commission also advises that any individual complainant seeking criminal sanction may lodge a crimen injuria complaint with the police.' TimesLIVE
