An attempted burglary over the weekend has resulted in flooding of the Lwandle Library, leading to its indefinite closure.

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

The perpetrators gained access through the ceiling to bypass the alarm and ripped out electrical wires.

While their actions affected the electricity supply to the building, they also damaged water pipes, resulting in serious flooding.

An initial assessment is 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 will now consider how the burglary and the resultant damage will impact their timelines.

The Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Francine Higham, has expressed her disappointment in the incident, especially considering the developments that were in the pipeline for this library.

“Apart from the cost to repair the damage to the library, the biggest cost is to the community, who now have to travel much further to access our services, all because of the actions of a few individuals.”

Higham has urged members of the community who may have information about this incident to report it to the South African Police Service or the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre.

Patrons are encouraged to visit the Strand, Gordon’s Bay or Somerset West library until services can resume at Lwandle.