31 Jan 2023

At least eight pupils lost all their property save for the clothes they were wearing when a block of dormitories caught fire at Nthwalang Junior Secondary School in Digawana.
The fire reportedly broke out on Sunday at around 6pm when the pupils were at their evening study sessions.

One dormitory burnt to ashes while some pupils managed to salvage some of their belongings from the other two.
The school head, Ms Olebile Mokgweetsi said the incident was reported by a passerby who alerted the schools security personnel.

She said when they arrived at the scene a block of three dormitories was engulfed by flames and they only managed to extinguish the blaze in two dormitories adjacent to the one which burned down.
Ms Mokgweetsi said they were still puzzled because the dormitory which burned down was locked up. She also said they were surprised to find coal on the mattress in the other block of dormitories far from the burning site.
She said they had not yet established if it was an electrical fault or faul play.

"The boarding pupils use firewood to heat water as there are no geysers and water reticulation is a problem, especially at the hostels," Ms Mokgweetsi said.

The school head said they managed to secure accommodation for the victims, thanks to the newly-built hostels, which were still unoccupied.
Furthermore, she said the pupils were receiving professional counselling to help calm their enxiety and shock.

Deputy district commissioner, Ms Itani Mathumo and council chairperson, Mr Fanki Motsaathebe visited the school to appreciate the situation.
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