Celebrating Guy Fawkes responsibly
Guy Fawkes, the night many celebrate the thwarted efforts to blow up the British Houses of Parliament in 1605, is fast approaching, and the City of Cape Town is urging residents to act responsibly during their festivities on Friday, November 5, 2010.
Unsupervised fireworks displays pose a fire risk and the accompanying noise can cause a lot of distress to animals. Confused, some pets stray from their homes and are struck or killed in oncoming traffic.
In an effort to promote responsible behaviour and reduce fire risks and noise levels at this time, the City of Cape Town has demarcated certain locations where residents can set off fireworks. Discharging fireworks anywhere outside of these designated sites is illegal and offenders will face arrest.
Residents should only buy fireworks from licensed vendors and avoid roadside purchases, and children shouldn’t be left alone with these explosives. Pet owners are advised to keep their animals indoors, to close windows and draw curtains after sunset to reduce the discomfort pets experience when fireworks are discharged.
Approved sites for Guy Fawkes festivities are as follows:
Cape Town
Mnandi Beach parking area (near the Law Enforcement office)
Maiden’s Cove parking area
Strandfontein Beach parking area
Athlone Stadium parking area
Helderberg
Gordon’s Bay Main Beach
Strand Beach (at Deep Blue)
Macassar Beach
South Peninsula
Sunrise Beach, Muizenberg
Fish Hoek Beach
Hout Bay Beach
Tygerberg
De Grendel Sports Grounds, Parow
Nooitgedacht Sports Grounds, Bishop Lavis
Sports grounds in Roosendal Street, Delft
Oostenberg
Blue Downs Sports Stadium, Hindle Road, Delft
Blaauwberg
Mamre Park, opposite the police station
Wesfleur Sports Grounds, Atlantis
Palm Site, Milnerton
Blaauwberg Beach, opposite the KFC (Blaauwberg Road)
You can report instances of illegally discharged fireworks to the Metro Police Control Centre on 0860 765 423 or the SAPS Emergency Control Centre on 10111. In emergencies, call 107 from a landline or +27 (0)21 480 7700 from a cell phone.
General enquiries can be directed to the city’s Corporate Call Centre on 0860 103 089 or the Disaster Risk Management Centre on 080 911 4357.
