A section of the Buffalo City Metro’s central library has been closed after a man, 25, went on the rampage, destroying machinery worth thousands of rands and allegedly threatening a librarian with a knife.
The incident took place in the reference section just after 3pm on Tuesday when about 60 students were using the facility to study.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the library yesterday afternoon, a sign on the door of the reference section read: “Reference library closed due to police investigation”.
The section had been closed since the shocking incident.
Students were told to utilise another study room on the same floor.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese confirmed the incident, saying the man went into the central library some time after 3pm and went up to the reference section where he “started shouting, threatening staff with a knife and pulling the computers and photocopiers onto the floor.
“He also went into our Africana section and broke another copier, typewriter, fans and vacuum cleaning machines before he pulled study material out and set a fire on a librarian’s desk, by which time they had already fled.
Matebese said the incident had been reported to the city’s insurance company. “The premises have not been cleared yet because we had been waiting for the go-ahead from the insurance company, but the reference section will be opened on Monday,” said Matebese.
Students who visited the library regularly said they were shocked by what they saw.
Yamkela Mahlanyana, a student at Buffalo City College who was studying for her exams, said she was petrified when she heard people screaming inside the library that day.
“I was sitting on the desks very close to the end of the library when I heard screams.
“Others started running and I just didn’t understand what was happening, so I hid underneath the desk until I was bold enough to run down the stairs at the centre of the library.”
Mahlanyana said she hurt her leg as she hurriedly ran down the stairs, fearing the worst.
“It was only when I was standing outside the library after I managed to flee that I actually managed to see the decent-looking young man being dragged out by police, who hastily attended to the scene.
“He had blood in his mouth,” said Mahlanyana.
East London police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mtati Tana confirmed that an arrest had been made.
“A 25-year-old suspect was arrested on Tuesday at the central library. A case of malicious damage to property has been opened,” said Tana.
However, he could not confirm that the man had pointed a knife at the librarian. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
Man held after library rampage
The incident took place in the reference section just after 3pm on Tuesday when about 60 students were using the facility to study.
When the Daily Dispatch visited the library yesterday afternoon, a sign on the door of the reference section read: “Reference library closed due to police investigation”.
The section had been closed since the shocking incident.
Students were told to utilise another study room on the same floor.
BCM spokesman Thandy Matebese confirmed the incident, saying the man went into the central library some time after 3pm and went up to the reference section where he “started shouting, threatening staff with a knife and pulling the computers and photocopiers onto the floor.
“He also went into our Africana section and broke another copier, typewriter, fans and vacuum cleaning machines before he pulled study material out and set a fire on a librarian’s desk, by which time they had already fled.
Matebese said the incident had been reported to the city’s insurance company. “The premises have not been cleared yet because we had been waiting for the go-ahead from the insurance company, but the reference section will be opened on Monday,” said Matebese.
Students who visited the library regularly said they were shocked by what they saw.
Yamkela Mahlanyana, a student at Buffalo City College who was studying for her exams, said she was petrified when she heard people screaming inside the library that day.
“I was sitting on the desks very close to the end of the library when I heard screams.
“Others started running and I just didn’t understand what was happening, so I hid underneath the desk until I was bold enough to run down the stairs at the centre of the library.”
Mahlanyana said she hurt her leg as she hurriedly ran down the stairs, fearing the worst.
“It was only when I was standing outside the library after I managed to flee that I actually managed to see the decent-looking young man being dragged out by police, who hastily attended to the scene.
“He had blood in his mouth,” said Mahlanyana.
East London police spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Mtati Tana confirmed that an arrest had been made.
“A 25-year-old suspect was arrested on Tuesday at the central library. A case of malicious damage to property has been opened,” said Tana.
However, he could not confirm that the man had pointed a knife at the librarian. — mbalit@dispatch.co.za
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