MEDIA STATEMENT
25 SEPTEMBER 2025
SADTU CONDEMNS RAMPANT BURGLARIES IN SCHOOLS LEADING TO THE THEFT OF VALUABLE LEARNER TEACHER SUPPORT MATERIAL
The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) in the North West province is deeply concerned and outraged by the growing number of burglaries in schools across the province: e.g. Reivilo Secondary School.
These criminal acts have led to the theft of valuable learner support materials, including laptops, tablets, and other essential resources meant to improve the quality of teaching and learning.
SADTU views these incidents not only as criminal activities but also as direct attacks on the future of our learners and the progress of our education system. The theft of these critical tools deprives learners—especially those from poor and working-class backgrounds—of opportunities to access modern learning resources and widens the gap in education equity.
SADTU condemns these acts in the strongest terms and calls for:
- Increased School Security: The provincial department of Education, must urgently strengthen security measures in schools, including employing trained security personnel, installing alarm systems, and ensuring rapid response to reported incidents.
- Community Involvement: Communities must play an active role in safeguarding schools as valuable public assets. Schools belong to communities, and it is the duty of all citizens to protect them from vandalism and theft.
- Law Enforcement Action: We urge the South African Police Service (SAPS) to prioritise investigations into these burglaries, arrest the perpetrators, and dismantle criminal syndicates that target schools.
- Government Support: The government must ensure that stolen learning materials are urgently replaced so that learners are not disadvantaged in their academic development.
SADTU remains committed to fighting for quality public education and protecting the right of every learner to access resources that enable effective teaching and learning. We will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders to find lasting solutions to the scourge of school burglaries and ensure that education is defended as a societal priority.
ISSUED BY: SADTU North west Secretariat