The Department of Basic Education has condemned the torching of four schools in Moruleng, north of Rustenburg, in the North West.

The incidents occurred last Thursday night.

“The Department of Basic Education condemns this callous act of vandalism and appeals to the community to help the police with information that can lead to the arrest of the criminals. Schools are community assets. We must protect them,” the DBE’s Elijah Mhlanga says.

  Five classrooms and the administration office were some of the properties that caught fire at Manamakgotha Secondary.

“At Raphurele Secondary in Welgevaal village attempt was made to burn classrooms, in Moruleng, two classrooms’ doors were partially burnt and at Dikwepi Primary School two classrooms were completely torched while one was partly burnt,” the North West Education Department says in a statement.

The incidents come as schools across the country gear up for the 2020 final exams, which begin on the 5th of November.

A probe into the matter continues and no arrests have yet been made.

The education department says it is evaluating the cost of the damage.

School vandalism in South Africa is an ongoing problem.

In April, the Department of Basic Education revealed that 397 learning centres had been vandalised in the country since the COVID-19 lockdown started on March 27.