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MOBILE CLASSROOM BURNT AT PHAKISANG PRIMARY SCHOOL IN OTTOSHOOP.
The North West Department of Education is shocked and concerned to learn that a third school has been affected by fire within the space of only two week. A mobile classroom at Phakisang Primary School in Ottoshoop, near Mahikeng, was burnt on Saturday, 29 August 2026.
The incident is the latest in a series of fires affecting schools in the province, raising serious concerns about the safety and security of school infrastructure.
It is alleged that on Saturday, 29 August 2026, in the afternoon, the General Assistant at the school received a call informing him that the school was on fire. Upon arriving at the school, he found that books stored in one of the mobile classrooms were on fire. In addition, a tyre and plastic hosepipes were found burning underneath two other mobile classrooms. The South African Police Service and the Fire Department were immediately called to the scene. The fire was extinguished before it could spread and cause extensive damage to the school infrastructure.
The MEC for Education, Dr Desbo Mohono, expressed deep concern and anger following the fire at the third school within two weeks period.
“In the space of just one week, a third school has now caught fire, and this is totally unacceptable. Last week, two schools were burnt in the Bojanala District, severely affecting the Department’s infrastructure and its ability to provide conducive learning environments. Schools are public properties. They belong to the communities in which they are situated, and communities must take pride in protecting and preserving their schools. We cannot allow the destruction of public infrastructure that is intended to serve our children and communities.
“These fires are occurring at a critical period of the academic year, when learners are busy with revision, while our Grade 12 learners are writing their preliminary examinations. The fire at Phakisang Primary School raises serious concerns that this may have been a deliberate attempt to burn the school. If confirmed, such acts are aimed at derailing the Department from achieving its objective of ensuring that learners are provided with a safe, secure and conducive environment in which to learn and succeed,” said MEC Dr Mohono.
The fire caused damage to the classroom floor, learners’ workbooks, educator's files and important documents, as well as the classroom chalkboard.
The Department of Education will continue to work closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) to ensure that anyone found to be behind these fires is brought to book.
The Department further calls on members of the community to play an active role in protecting school infrastructure by reporting any suspicious activities, acts of vandalism or information that may assist the authorities in preventing further incidents of arson and destruction at schools.
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