STATEMENT BY MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY, ALDERMAN JP SMITH

No designated fireworks sites in 2019

The City of Cape Town has decided to forego designated sites for fireworks this year.

The discharging of fireworks is not allowed in terms of the Community Fire Safety By-law, but the City has, for a number of years, made an exception to accommodate this practice for Guy Fawkes, Diwali and New Year’s Eve.

However, a number of factors have made us change course this year, including:
• The decreased appetite from sub councils to approve designated sites
• The cost associated with running the sites, including deploying staff and resources, in particular, the Fire and Rescue Service
• Growing public sentiment opposing the use of fireworks
Given that there will be no designated sites this year, the City appeals to residents to please refrain from setting off fireworks.

As we have indicated before, only the national government has the legislative competence to ban the import, production, and sale of fireworks or restrict usage by age.

We remind residents that, in terms of Section 30 of the Explosives Act of 1956, the use or detonation of any fireworks in any building and public thoroughfare is liable to a R200 fine; selling fireworks to a child or anyone under the age of 16 is liable to a R300 fine; allowing a child or person under the age of 16 to handle fireworks without adult supervision is liable to a R300 fine.
Members of the public with information relating to the illegal sale or use of fireworks should report this to the City’s Public Emergency Call Centre on 107 from a landline or 021 480 7700 from a cellphone or to the South African Police Service on 10111.

Congratulations to Toni Brockhoven from Beauty without Cruelty for the many years of hard work to help make this happen!