Rivoni School and Centre for the Blind in Njakanjaka village near Elim has been left in the dark after electrical cables linking the transformer to the school and centre were stolen. The cables formed part of the delayed R198 million construction project at the school.
The school lost power on Friday, 20 February, while the centre had already been without electricity since Thursday, 12 February.
The school has 146 learners, many of whom rely on electricity for learning and daily activities. School Governing Body (SGB) chairperson Elias Mathimane said the outage had severely disrupted lessons and hostel life.
“Lots of activities need power. In the hostels, when it’s dark, it’s especially challenging for learners. Some are partially sighted and rely on light to see. If it weren’t for the sacrifices we are making, the school might have had to close,” he said. Staff are using wood fires to heat water, placing additional strain on operations.
Lawrence Muvhango from PSA Limpopo said the incident highlighted the need for emergency planning. “As much as the outage was caused by cable theft, this shows the need for standby generators or solar power. The school caters to learners who need special care,” he said.
The Rivoni Society for the Blind, founded in 1976 by Swiss doctor Dr Erwin Sutter, provides education, rehabilitation, skills training and business development for blind people.
About 80 metres of cable were also stolen from the Rivoni centre, which supports 18 adult beneficiaries. “It is very tough now. Boreholes are not pumping water, so we don’t have water. Some beneficiaries are rewriting matric exams. Until a solution is found, they cannot attend,” said centre director Misaveni Mashimbye.
The theft occurred amid ongoing construction delays at the school. Mawisa Mabasa, deputy chairperson of the traditional council, said the matter was reported to the council and warned that the crime was slowing the project.
“We suspect a group of people is involved. It is affecting the entire community. We urge those affected to open cases and assist police,” he said, adding that stolen cables may be sold to scrap dealers.
Education department spokesperson Mike Maringa said the school reported the incident on Saturday afternoon. He said a contractor had been appointed to repair the damage and electricity was expected to be restored by Friday, 27 February (today).