Cape Town - The City of Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope SPCA said they were definitely seeing a decrease in Guy Fawkes-related fireworks complaints, but the SPCA still had a busy night.
The City's safety and security directorate said it was heartened by the continued drop in complaints related to fireworks, but that there continued to be pockets of resistance that emergency and enforcement staff have to deal with.
Between November 3 and 5, the City’s agencies recorded 225 calls related to the illegal discharge of fireworks, and 40 related to the illegal sale of fireworks.
A year ago, the figures were 325 and 78 respectively.
Law enforcement officers had their hands full responding to fireworks complaints in Lentegeur, Weltevreden Valley, Rocklands, Delft, Gugulethu, Bonteheuwel, Pelican Park and Sea Point.
Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said that the “marauding mobs that have become synonymous with Guy Fawkes also made an appearance – although more muted than previously”.
They were targeting pedestrians and motorists along Prince George Drive in the vicinity of Lavender Hill and Seawinds, as well as Parkwood and Tafelsig.
“The statistics show that there is a downturn in the bad behaviour that we’ve come to expect over the Guy Fawkes period, but the City recognises that this offers little solace to communities where the fireworks and anti-social behaviour continues, year in and year out.
“We also have to acknowledge the likelihood that not all incidents are necessarily reported,” Smith said.
“And, while our enforcement staff do their utmost to respond to incidents, it is a really tough ask, because the discharge of fireworks, or targeting of motorists and pedestrians, is random, and the perpetrators disappear before officers arrive on scene,” Smith said.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA Inspectorate said it was ready to respond to the distress of animals caught in the turmoil of Guy Fawkes celebrations.
SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said their inspectors worked tirelessly throughout the night, co-ordinating efforts from both the City of Cape Town joint operations centre and their Grassy Park base.
“We are definitely seeing a decrease in public participation in Guy Fawkes and we are extremely thankful both to the City of Cape Town for their stance on the discharge of fireworks and the Capetonians who chose to abstain.
“We did however still have a busy night and our emergency hotline lit up with calls starting as early as 3pm, as residents reported the illegal use of fireworks in Cape Town’s residential areas,” Abrahams said.
By midnight, they had fielded an additional 21 calls concerning injured and trapped animals, including a crow, a hadeda, a horse, a fallen fledgling bird, a cat stranded atop a pole, and two separate incidents involving dogs entangled in or caught on fencing.
“Tragically, one of the dogs had sustained such severe injuries that it had to be euthanised upon admission, while the other was discovered wedged between the bars of a fence and is currently receiving treatment at our animal hospital.
“As the sun rose this morning our phones continued to ring incessantly, with numerous reports of stray animals believed to have been displaced by the fireworks,” Abrahams said.
“Experience has shown that this trend is likely to persist in the days ahead, making our ongoing efforts critical.”
Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and report traumatised animals in need of assistance on 021 700 4158/9 during office hours or 083 326 1604 after hours.
If your own pet has gone missing, the SPCA lost and found department can be reached at 021 700 4166 or via email at [email protected].
Smith added: “The City highlights the negative impacts of these bizarre celebrations each and every year, but snuffing it out is a shared responsibility and we appeal to more communities to stand up against these practices.”