Warning on fireworks over New Year’s Eve
The City of Joburg issues warning on fireworks over New Year's Eve.
The Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, Cllr. Geoffrey Makhubo has urged residents to be cautious when igniting fireworks as part of the traditional New Year’s Eve celebrations as they observe the extended Alert level 3 curfew from 21:00 to 06:00.
This comes after the announcement of the new lockdown restrictions announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, which amongst other things discourages social gatherings.
“Following the adjusted Alert level 3 regulations, we will like to call on our residence to conduct celebrations of the advent of the new year differently and responsibly at the comfort of their homes. The year on many fronts has been a difficult and different one, thus we must not let our guard down, all in the name of a New Year’s Eve celebration.
“The culture of igniting fireworks is traditionally done in forms of a larger group, which is ‘highly discouraged by the Alert level 3 regulations as such gatherings can serve as COVID-19 super spreader events. Therefore, we implore our residents to be extra careful when igniting fireworks, while avoiding gathering in groups,” said Mayor Makhubo.
“As a government of local unity, our responsibility is to save lives and stop the spread of COVID-19, therefore a sizeable number of our City Public Safety Department which includes JMPD and EMS will continue to conduct bylaws enforcement operations on both the 30th and 31st December 2020.
“These Zero-Tolerance operations will be targeting the wholesalers, dealers, distributors to ensure that they are complying with the fire service brigade act and also the city bylaws regarding safe use, storage of fireworks, and any other transgressions of the Alert level 3 regulations,” adds Mayor Makhubo.
Mayor Makhubo further calls on all residents to heed the president’s call of lighting up a candle instead of a firework at midnight on New Year’s Eve. This will be done in memory of those who have lost their lives to COVID-19 and in tribute to those who are on the frontline working to save lives and protecting citizens against the rapid spread of the virus.
Be Warned, Be Responsible, and Stay Safe!
