Residents ‘tune’ park drummers
Responding to complaints about a drum circle at Bulwer Park, councillor Mmabatho Tembe said drummers are flouting by-laws.
PERCUSSIONISTS who gather at Bulwer Park every week have come in for a verbal beating from a neighbouring resident.
The resident, who did not want to be named, lives near Bulwer Park and says he and others are subjected to the noise generated by a drumming circle that meets at the park every Wednesday night. According to the complainant, the drummers play their instruments until late at night, light fires in the park and consume alcohol in the open public space. He said the noise was a disturbance to him and neighbouring residents.
“The drummers play until midnight and sometimes even later, they and other visitors burn fires, drink wine and are very loud. My wife and I have to phone the cops every Wednesday night to get them to stop after 10 but they continue until later. We stay about 500m away from where they drum and can’t sleep. We have to put the TV so loud to counter their noise,” he said.
The drummer previously gathered at the Stables and Davenport or Windermere, however they moved to the park because of sound restrictions. “Bylaws states these days that this sort of thing can’t go on later than 10pm because it becomes a noise disturbance. We are literally sick and tired of phoning the cops and sometimes not getting anything resolved by them. I know somehow this is an attraction but they must obey the bylaws in a public area and follow the rules of the law,” he said.
The man also questioned whether the group had a liquor license that allowed them to drink in public. He said his was also concerned by the fires that were lit in the park. Ward 31 councillor, Mmabatho Tembe, said drinking and burning fires in the park was against the by-laws and that she would address this with Metro Police.
“The drum circle in Bulwer Park has been going on for longer than I have been a councillor in this ward, but I know there have been complaints previously. I have spoken to Col Gerald Mkhize at Umbilo SAPS who said his officers do patrol the park after 11pm. I will double check to see if this is being done,” she said.
Tembe said if residents find the noise is unbearable, they should call Metro Police and SAPS.
