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Jongintaba Senior Secondary School in Mqhekezweni, the first school established with the support of former president Nelson Mandela, is reeling after a suspected arson attack last week gutted its staff room and principal’s office, destroying records, equipment, and administrative infrastructure worth more than R1m.
The blaze, which broke out in the early hours, marks the second time in less than a decade that fire has destroyed key administrative infrastructure at the school. This is on top of many criminal activities, including robberies, break-ins and rapes, that have affected the school, though some of these incidents did not happen on the school premises.
The attack has renewed fears about safety, governance, and the future of an institution that occupies a unique place in South Africa’s educational history.
Police have opened a case of arson and have confirmed that forensic teams were on site to determine the cause and origin of the fire.
Named after AbaThembu regent King Jongintaba Mtirara, who assumed guardianship of a young Nelson Mandela when he moved to Mqhekezweni from Qunu, the school serves more than 800 pupils from the surrounding rural communities. For residents, it is a centre of learning and a living link to Mandela’s early life.
The 2017 fire that gutted the administration block destroyed years of academic records and documentation, forcing staff to spend months reconstructing pupil files and managing exams under strain.
The block was never rebuilt.
Last week’s fire has again struck the heart of the school’s daily operations.
“The two are critical structures of the school where important items are kept,” said school governing body (SGB) member Nosandiso Tyali. “This time they decided to torch the principal’s office and the staffroom.”
Destroyed items include a new photocopier, groceries worth R50,000, two air conditioners, two cabinet servers, Chromebooks, seven desktops, a bell system, a projector set, electric cables, and learning and teaching support material packs.
Temporary office space is being arranged in unused classrooms to keep administrative functions running.
Despite the damage, classes are continuing.
Teachers said they are working to minimise the impact on pupils before the mid-year exams and to maintain stability in the school.
Police spokesperson Brig Nobuntu Gantana said: “Police in Bhityi are investigating a case of arson after the staffroom and principal’s office at Jongintaba Senior Secondary School were set alight on May 15 at about 8.30pm.”
Gantana said a local resident saw a bright light and later a fire at the school.
“He alerted the principal, who called police,“ Gantana said.
“Forensic officers recovered an Okapi knife at the scene for DNA analysis.”
She said various educational materials were destroyed.
No arrests have been made.
“The station commander has visited the school. Patrols have been increased and informers are being sought.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stop on 08600-10111 or use the MySAPS app.
The pattern of crime at the school and at the village raises serious concerns.
The latest arson attack follows a string of criminal incidents that have plagued the school and the surrounding Mqhekezweni area.
Since August, the school has experienced multiple break-ins.
In one incident, burglars used a grinder to cut open the perimeter fence and burglar-proofing on the roof of the principal’s office. Computers have been stolen, and, in other cases, intruders have left without taking anything.
The school’s challenges extend beyond its gates.
In the past decade, several pupils have been raped in private rented accommodation near the school, and pupils have been robbed of their valuables.
On the eve of the final year exams in October 2024, five Jongintaba pupils were raped at their rented accommodation.
That same night, Mqhekezweni’s retired traditional leader, Nkosikazi Nogcinile Mtirara, 74, the granddaughter-in-law of Jongintaba, and 80-year-old retired nurse Nonceba Timakhwe were found murdered in their homes.
In a separate incident, in 2015, law enforcement was called to quell violence between pupils after buses were pelted with stones.
No arrests have been made in those cases.
Mqhekezweni traditional council acting head Nkosikazi Nobulali Mtirara called for a thorough investigation.
“We want to know who is responsible for this. The sooner the police make an arrest, the better for all of us. It is extremely shocking that someone can decide to burn the school,” she said. “It is regrettable that an institution bearing the name of our forebear has again been subjected to destruction.”
This is bad. If we do not stand up as a community and defend what is ours, we will know the value of this school by the time it is closed or burnt to ashes
— King Sabata Dalindyebo ward 18 councillor Sandla Tokwana
Community leaders, the SGB’s Nosandiso Tyali and King Sabata Dalindyebo ward 18 councillor Sandla Tokwana condemned the attack and called for calm and co-operation.
“This is bad. If we do not stand up as a community and defend what is ours, we will know the value of this school by the time it is closed or burnt to ashes. Many other communities are crying out for a high school, and while we are blessed with this institution on our doorstep, we have no sense of ownership. We cannot, year after year, have incidents of criminal activities,” Tokwana said.
Tyali said the latest fire was the culmination of months of crime and disruption.
After the death of the previous principal, the school had no principal for almost a year.
“No teacher applied for the position, and the SGB had to request the district office to headhunt a replacement, and we got a new principal in August,” Tyali said.
The attack at Jongintaba is part of a wider pattern of school-related violence in the Eastern Cape.
Education officials have repeatedly warned that schools damaged through vandalism and arson are de-prioritised for rebuilding due to constrained infrastructure budgets. Repair costs often divert resources from new projects in the province.
Jongintaba is a quintile 1 public school with 804 pupils. It receives R960 per pupil annually from the government and is heavily reliant on state support for maintenance and operations.
Mandela’s grandson and Mvezo traditional leader, Nkosi Mandla Mandela, has consistently condemned the destruction at Jongintaba, saying the legacy of Madiba must not be allowed to be eroded.
Vandalism has no place in a democracy and only serves to deprive already underdeveloped communities of much-needed educational infrastructure
— Nkosi Mandla Mandela
“Vandalism has no place in a democracy and only serves to deprive already underdeveloped communities of much-needed educational infrastructure, leaving pupils exposed to learning under inadequate conditions.
“I call on the community of Mqhekezweni and regional law enforcement authorities to ensure that those who delight in destruction and vandalism are identified, charged, and prosecuted.
“We are saddened that Madiba’s hard work can be so thoughtlessly undermined and destroyed by arsonists,” he said.
Parents say they chose Jongintaba for its historical significance and its reputation for producing strong matric results in the district.
As the school begins the slow process of recovery, staff, pupils, and community leaders are left to weigh the cost of losing not just buildings and records but also the sense of security and continuity that an institution linked to Mandela’s name is meant to embody.
Provincial education department spokesperson Malibongwe Mtima had not responded to a media inquiry sent to him on Sunday by 2pm on Monday.
Daily Dispatch
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