Cameron Dugmore, MEC for Education in the Western Cape, will visit the Woodlands Primary School in Zuurbergweg, Heideveld, today (Thursday, 2 November) following a fire at the school last week.

The fire completely destroyed three classrooms and damaged a fourth classroom on Friday night (27 October 2006). The cause of the fire is not known.

Meanwhile, vandals have damaged the alarm system at the school, as well as toilets, the roof and gutters. The vandals stole taps on basins, which resulting in flooding of the ablution blocks.

Officials of the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) have worked with the school to see to emergency repairs, focusing initially on ensuring that the toilet and washing facilities are operational.

Teachers stepped in to control the flow of water to the toilets so that they could flush normally. Contractors have since replaced stolen copper pipes with plastic pipes to ensure a proper flow of water to the toilets.

The WCED has provided a list of possible contractors and the school is currently finalising quotes for the remaining emergency repairs.

Meanwhile, officials of the Department of Public Works and Transport have visited the school to assess the fire damage and will forward its report to the WCED shortly.

Manenberg police are investigating.