Lwandle library forced to close after attempted burglary floods premises

An attempted burglary over the weekend flooded the Lwandle library, forcing its closure until further notice, the City said.

The incident was discovered on Monday morning, August 11, when library staff arrived at work.

The perpetrators gained access through the ceiling to bypass the alarm and ripped out electrical wires, the City said in a statement. Their actions not only affected the electricity supply to the building, but they also damaged water pipes, which resulted in flooding.

An initial assessment was underway to determine the extent of the damage caused by the incident and to restore the electricity.

The break-in comes just weeks after the City announced a nearly R12 million upgrade project at the library.

The project management team now has to consider how the burglary and the resultant damage will impact their timelines.

Mayoral committee member for Community Services and Health, Francine Higham, appealed to anyone with information about the incident to report it to the police or the City’s public emergency communication centre.

“This incident is incredibly disappointing, especially considering the exciting developments in the pipeline for this library. Apart from the cost to repair the damage to the library, the biggest cost is to the community, which now has to travel much further to access our services, all because of the actions of a few individuals,” he said. 

The library’s patrons are encouraged to visit the Strand, Gordon’s Bay, or Somerset West libraries until services can resume.