A 21-year-old man accused of burning down the Relebohile Sibulele Combined School appeared briefly in the Smithfield Magistrate’s Court in the Free State yesterday.
Community members packed the small court room to see Tshidiso Modise.
The school is one of three schools in Smithfield and the only high school in the town.
During that incident, four classrooms and a computer lab were burned.
The fire started in one classroom and spread to the others in the early hours of the 29th of July.
Local farmers managed to douse the flames.
Outside the court, protesting residents held up placards demanding that Modise be denied bail.
Parents and learners have urged the court to hand out a harsh punishment.
The Free State Education Department has welcomed Modise’s arrest and called on communities to safeguard their schools.
The department says schools remain targets for criminal elements within communities.
Magistrate Lucky Mukatuni says Modise will remain in custody until his next court appearance on the 24th of August.
Court proceedings in the report below:
Original Story by www.sabcnews.com
