SOUTH AFRICA COMPUTERS STOLEN http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/matrics-arrested-in-kzn-1.688912
Matrics arrested in KZN
INLSA
While thousands of KwaZulu-Natal matric pupils started writing their final exams on Monday, two Grade 12 pupils from an Umlazi high school were arrested after being linked to a robbery in which several items, including 12 computers, were stolen from their school.
Mzwamandla High School, which has been burgled five times this year, was broken into at the weekend. Thieves broke down a brick wall and stole 12 computers, about 30 boxes of A4 printing paper, a microwave oven, radio and kitchen utensils.
Vice-principal Mzo Dlamini said about 60 computers had been stolen to date.
“The school’s main office was burnt last year and we turned a classroom into an office where computers and other equipment is stored. We don’t have a strong-room,” he said. “This is the third time our computers were stolen. We have lost about R50 000 worth of school property, which is painful because we are a poor school. We have a security company, but burglars cut the alarm when the school was broken into for the second time this year.”
While matric exams would not be affected by the computer theft, Grade 10 and 11 pupils would struggle to write their computer application technology exams.
“We were lucky because matrics have already written papers which require the use of computers, but we will have to borrow computers from other schools for other grades to write their exams,” said Dlamini.
He said one of the pupils was caught stealing printing paper from a truck making a delivery to the school last week.
“I chased him, but he ran into a nearby settlement with other boys who are known thugs. I saw him give the paper to them,” he said.
Suspicious that the pupil was involved in the latest incident, Dlamini asked him for information about the burglary on Monday.
“He admitted he was involved in the planning and execution of the crime. The money they would get thereafter was the motive. Material used by our civil engineering class was stolen about two months ago. Today, he also admitted that he stole it and police accompanied him to fetch one of the items from where he had sold it. He fingered another pupil. If it were up to us, these pupils would be expelled, but it’s not that easy,” said Dlamini.
School governing body member Lizzie Khuzwayo lashed out at the surrounding community for preying on the school instead of protecting it. “We are asking for help. The burglaries have left the school in a very bad state,” she said.
Education Department spokeswoman Mbali Thusi said the department planned to visit the school and engage with locals in finding a solution to the problem.
Meanwhile, pupils at Durban Girls’ High School were confident of doing well in Monday’s information technology and computer application technology papers.
They said the papers were “easy and balanced”.
Bianca Botha said: “Our teachers prepared us well. The strike didn’t affect us. We had spring school and extra lessons, and we had time for revision.”
Nikita Chetty said she had also felt well prepared. “Teachers have drilled us; we’ve had lots of preparation and we revised past papers.”
The Basic Education Ministry said the matric exams got off to a smooth start, with no serious hiccups reported.
People interested in helping Mzwamandla High School should phone Mzo Dlamini at 031 908 4919 or 082 485 1215.
l If you know of pupils likely to be ranked among KZN’s top matrics, e-mail their names and contact details to sinegugu.ndlovu@inl.co.za or mercnews@inl.co.za - The Mercury
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