The City of Cape Town’s libraries are facing an onslaught of burglaries and vandalism, with the Tafelsig Library being the latest facility left counting the cost of the damages.
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The Tafelsig Library was burgled in the early hours of Sunday morning, when intruders gained access to the facility through the roof.
Apart from damage to the roof and computer cables, the thieves made off with a number of items, including processing units, SmartCape computers, a monitor, a media screen, a smart television, a desk telephone and a USB speaker.
The cost of this latest incident is still being calculated.
Tafelberg is by no means an isolated target, with the city reporting over a dozen cases of theft and damage to property in recent months.
On 16 September in particular, three libraries were targeted.
On this day, cables outside the Ravensmead Library were cut, resulting in no service delivery for four days.
The Delft South Library was burgled, equipment was stolen and the ceiling was damaged.
At the Ocean View Library, the front door handle and central processing unit were also stolen.
“The unabated onslaught on our libraries cannot continue,” said Mayco Member for Community Services and Health Patricia van der Ross. “Costs linked to vandalism and theft, just since July, will surpass the R2 million mark by the end of this year. This includes the R1 million we’ll spend on security.”
“We shouldn’t have to spend so much money on securing community assets. These facilities are for the benefit of our residents, where our children come to study, learn and interact with each other. It is deplorable that the criminal acts of a few impact the majority.”
Many of the crimes impact library services, necessitating the temporary closure of the facility and resulting in the unavailability of materials.
“For many of our patrons, the library is the only quiet space to study or take a break from life’s stress. It’s not only physical items being stolen, but the thieves also rob our students from important access to resources and the community of their comfort zones,” Van der Ross added.
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