Pretoria – The Mpumalanga Education Department on Saturday lamented the ongoing spate of burglaries at schools in the province during the coronavirus (Covid-19) lockdown period.

A total of 72 schools have been broken into throughout the province - seven schools in the Bohlabela district, nine in Ehlanzeni, 28 in Nkangala, and 28 in the Gert Sibande district.

Mpumalanga Education MEC Bonakele Majuba condemned the targeting of schools and urged community members to report such incidents to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

"The destruction and breaking into public or private property is really uncalled for and must be condemned in the strongest terms it deserves. Schools, and any public property, must not in any way be targets for criminal activity, because they solely exist to empower our children and communities. For this reason they need to be protected,” said Majuba.

“The vandalism and burglary is counterproductive to the developmental agenda of government. I request our communities to work with the police to identify the culprits behind this so that in turn they may be brought to book."