Glenvista fire school hall

Image via: @Lesufi / Twitter

Glen Vista High School fire: Six pupils identified – Lesufi

Pupils at Glen Vista High School set fire to a part of the hall because they didn’t want to write an exam that had been scheduled

Glenvista fire school hall

Image via: @Lesufi / Twitter

Gauteng’s Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi says six pupils have been singled out for the fire at Glen Vista High School just recently.

Pupils from the school – south of Johannesburg, set part of the hall alight on Monday, 16 August 2021, because they did not want to write exam which had been scheduled for that afternoon. Well, despite the students’ efforts to prevent writing their exams, they were forced to take them out outside in the sun.

Local councillor Sarah Wissler also confirmed on Facebook that the pupils involved were identified.

“I have been inundated with questions around the fire that happened yesterday morning. Yes, it did happen and yes, the pupils who started the fire have been identified and dealt with by the department,” she said.

It’s not yet clear how the learners will be taken to task for the incident.

Pictures and videos of that blaze did the rounds on social media on Tuesday, the same day Lesufi visited the school ton assess the extent of damage and find out the circumstances surrounding the fire.

The fire was extinguished just before causing major damage. According to the Gauteng Education Department, the curtains, projector screen, electrical wiring and PA system in the school hall were damaged by the blaze.

Govt not paying for Glen Vista High School fire

Glen Vista High School Principal Ms Thobile Morgan says the fire occurred just after 11:00. She says she was in a meeting when a teacher rushed in to tell her that the school hall was on fire.

“I rushed here only to find the hall on fire. So I called the fire extinguishers, I called the police. So the investigation is still underway,” she said.

Lesufi has already indicated that the department will not be helping the school in fixing the damage caused by the fire.

“We are devastated to discover that learners could go as far as committing an act of arson, destroying school infrastructure in the process, just to escape an important assessment. As such, we will not fix the damages caused by this fire. The school must see to finish,” the MEC said.