GDE says repairing Riverlea High classrooms gutted by fire to cost around R2.5m

JOHANNESBURG - The Gauteng Education Department said that repairing classrooms gutted by a fire at Riverlea High School would cost around R2.5 million.

In April, a blaze broke out at the Randburg school, damaging 11 classrooms, including a block of toilets.

While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, the department has since provided four mobile classrooms, as repairs are set to take a while to complete.

Department spokesperson Steve Mabona said they were also improving the school's safety infrastructure.

"And the school is currently in a better place to be in a position to fight any fire that might be, or rather, occur in the school. We noticed that the last safety inspection, rather the fire safety inspection, was not recorded prior to the incident. But plans are afoot to make sure that the City of Johannesburg assists us, you know, in the second quarter."