Three more Cape Town’s public libraries temporarily shut its doors due to vandalism, weather damage and wear and tear over time

Three of Cape Town’s public libraries are the latest to temporarily shut its doors due to vandalism, weather damage and wear and tear over time.

PICTURED: Mitchum George

The affected libraries are Manenberg, Hanover Park and Milnerton. Burglars targeted Milnerton on 5 August, and pulled virtually all of the wiring from the walls. Since then, the library has been offering limited services to patrons. According to the City, the rewiring project starts on 14 October, and they aim to complete the project within a week and have the library up and running again on 21 October.

Meanwhile, Manenberg and Hanover Park libraries closed last Wednesday, and are set to reopen at the end of November. Hanover Park library closed due to weather-related damage during winter, which is costing the City R1 203 752.17 to repair. Manenberg library temporary closure is due to vandalism-related damage or general wear & tear. According tot eh City, it will cost them more than R1.3 million to fix the facility. Furthermore, the municipality says it will cost them about R450 000 to repair Milnerton library, as burglars allegedly damaged cable infrastructure.

‘’Among the work to be completed at the two facilities is roof repairs, electrical systems upgrades, tiling, painting and repairs to windows, doors and burglar proofing. Hanover Park Library will offer limited services at the community hall adjacent to the library. This includes study spaces, book club sessions, reading programmes, as well as digital and information literacy sessions,’’ said Patricia van der Ross, Mayco Member for Community Services & Health.

‘’The timing is not ideal, but it was impacted by a number of factors including contractor availability, the finalisation of purchase orders and other administrative processes … the weather. We also have the builders' holiday which is not that far off, so best to get the work done as quickly as possible so that these facilities can come back online.’’

Van der Ross said wo other libraries remain closed at this time - Brown's Farm Library sustained significant damages due to vandalism and looting in August 2023, while a fire at the Khayelitsha Library in February 2024 caused significant damage to the roof, walls and electrical systems.

‘’Work continues on finalising cost estimates to repair the damage at the facilities.  At Brown's Farm, an additional assessment of security measures is under way, which might result in further work required to restore operations.’’

She encouraged patrons to use other libraries in adjacent neighbourhoods in the meantime.

‘’These closures also serve as a reminder of the impact of vandalism and theft on community facilities. I want to remind residents to work with us to safeguard these facilities, said Patricia Van der Ross, Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health.

The Mayco Member said the full budget required, as well as project timelines to complete repairs at the facilities, have yet to be determined.

 

Done by: Mitchum George