Women arrested for stealing food meant for school

In what is believed to be a breakthrough in the fight against the theft of food meant for needy learners at schools, the police in Vhembe arrested three women at Muratho Primary School in Hathukhutha outside Thohoyandou.

The women, Ms Fhulufhelo Mabege, Ms Brenda Maruge, and Ms Ndivhuwo Matamela, were arrested on Friday, 23 February, at the school after the discovery of food items hidden in bushes behind the building where food for learners is cooked. They were charged with theft and possession of suspected stolen goods. The three appeared in the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Monday (26^th) and were all granted bail of R1,000 each. Their case was postponed to 9 April for further investigations.

The school’s nutritional feeding scheme has become the target of thieves who break into the store, steal the food, and sell it to spaza-shop owners. Of late, staff working at the schools also seem to be the culprits. The Muratho Primary School incident is not an isolated case in the area. Last week, residents of Makwarela stumbled upon a man who had stolen food items at Mmbara Primary School in Makwarela. The police were summoned to investigate, and the suspect was found in possession of stolen tins of fish and fresh milk. The suspect has since been arrested.

Commenting on the arrests, Vhembe Concerned Group chairperson Mr Richard Ramabulana hailed the arrests, saying they were long overdue. “This is a common occurrence at our schools, but in most cases, these crimes are not reported to the police. We applaud the schools that took the bold stand to report this to the police. It is quite saddening that the food that is being stolen is meant for the poor learners,” he said.

Ramabulana called on the Department of Education to increase security measures at schools, especially where the food is being stored. “We are also calling upon principals to be accountable for food apportioned to their schools by the department. If there is proper accountability, no food will be stolen at schools. Principals should be the ones handing out foodstuffs to be used daily, and theft will no longer occur,” he said.

News - Date: 29 February 2024

Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

Email: