Johannesburg - A school in Sebokeng went up in flames in the early hours of Wednesday morning just before pupils were to arrive for their 2020 academic year.
This the second school to go up in flames in January after Tokelo High School in Evaton was set alight at the beginning of the year.
The fires comes at the time that the Gauteng Department of Education is battling to place pupils in school due to lack of space.
According to Brigadier Mathapelo Peters of the Gauteng Police, a caretaker at at the alerted them that the school was on fire.
"We were alerted after 3am but we don't know what time the fire started. There was no one at the school when the fire started and the caretaker said he was also alerted by someone.
"For now the administration block is the one that was damaged but we are trying to establish the cause of the fire and extent of the damage. No injuries have been reporter," Peter said.
The Star tried to get hold of the department's Steve Mabona but he was not available.
After Tokelo went up in flames two weeks ago, the Gauteng department of education released a statement on behalf of Lesufi, indicating that fire marshals on the scene believed that the cause of the fire had been arson.
“Accordingly, fire marshals on scene put the cause as pure arson. Police were on scene and are also investigating. We wish to call upon anyone who might have information on this barbaric act to share the same with the police.
“We are hopeful that teaching and learning will not be hampered when schools open accordingly.
“We wish to reiterate our disappointment in such incidents because they really derail our plans. Reality is that we do not have funds to repair the school. The department will check what can be salvaged from the burnt school,” the statement said.