Loud music emanating mostly from taverns, parties, weddings and tent-churches at different hours of the day or night, especially over weekends, is classed as “disturbing noise” or “noise nuisance” under the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality Police Department’s by-laws.
Regardless of whatever name one wishes to describe it as noise or nuisance is a violation of peace of mind and the regulation of local municipal by-laws in township communities.
The imminent regulation and enforcement of local municipal by-laws, coupled with the attempts by the municipality to educate authorities about the importance of the by-laws, could lead to changes that will give residents in the townships peace of mind at night and over weekends.
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Chief Senior Inspector Wilfred Kgasago of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) said, “Disturbing noise is a scientifically measurable noise level and generally compared to the existing ambient noise level. It is defined as any noise that ‘disturbs or impairs or may disturb or impair the convenience or peace of any person’.”
Every month, Kathorus MAIL receives at least half-a-dozen letters and messages from irate readers complaining about the excessive noise levels in their neighbourhoods. In these complaints, informal tent churches, apostolic churches and their all-night prayer ceremonies, bars and taverns are often the main culprits identified by residents as the biggest noise polluters in most residential areas.
Next on the list are street-parties, wedding ceremonies, house parties and traditional ritual ceremonies. Most of these are often held over weekends and tend to continue throughout the weekend to the discomfort of other residents and neighbours.
According to Kgasago, disturbing or excessive noise harms the balance of human or animal life. High noise levels can also contribute to cardiovascular effects in the human body, a rise in blood pressure and an increase in stress and vasoconstriction. These are also the leading causes of the high incidence of coronary heart disease.
Noise or “uninvited sound” can cause psychological damage to the health of especially young children, the frail, the elderly and those with chronic heart ailments.
Other ailments that can be linked to noise pollution have also been associated with health troubles such as, hypertension, high stress levels, tinnitus, hearing loss or sleep disturbances. Most of these ailments can easily overlap and cause other harmful effects.
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Section 8 of the Municipal By-Laws states the following:
Prohibition of Disturbing Noise
• No person shall make, produce or cause a disturbing noise, or allow it to be made, produced or caused by any person, animal, machine, device or apparatus or any combination thereof.
Section 9
Prohibition of Noise Nuisance
• No person shall operate or play, or allow to be operated or played, a radio, television set, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier, loudspeaker system or similar device producing, reproducing or amplifying sound so as to cause a noise nuisance.
If you are faced with any of these two problems in your neighbourhood, as neighbours you need to have an open discussion with the “noise polluter” to either stop or reduce the noise levels to acceptable decibels. If they fail to do so you can call the EMPD’s Senior By-Laws Enforcement Officer, Bella Moloi, on 011 999 1797.
