City urges caution as temperatures are expected to spike
The City’s Safety and Security Directorate staff had a little help from the weather over the two busiest festive season long weekends, but they remain on high alert as very hot weather is predicted for the next two days. Read more below:
The City of Cape Town’s Safety and Security Directorate staff will maintain high levels of visibility at beaches and other public areas for the next few weeks until the school holidays wind down.
Staff will be on high alert over the next two days in particular, as the South African Weather Service has predicted very hot weather conditions that are likely to drive a large number of visitors to the coastline.
‘Many people are still on holiday and I think they’ll want to make the most of any good weather, considering that both the peak festive season weekends didn’t offer the greatest weather conditions,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, Alderman JP Smith.
Many of the City’s popular beaches were decidedly more quiet on New Year’s day, with an estimated 30 000 people on Muizenberg, 12 000 at Strandfontein Pavilion, 8 000 at Strand and just 3 000 at Monwabisi.
Between 1 December 2017 and 1 January 2018, 10 drownings were recorded compared to seven during the previous festive season. Three of the incidents happened at Mnandi, four at Strand and one each at Soetwater, Monwabisi and Muizenberg. There were also two false alarms at Strand and Melkbosstrand.
‘The number of drownings are disappointing because we work really hard to ensure a safe environment for visitors to our beaches and other public attractions. This year we had extra lifeguards deployed, but it’s of little consequence if bathers venture outside the designated bathing areas or disregard the instructions of lifeguards. We will look at each incident to see what the exact circumstances were and how we can improve our beach safety strategy in future,’ added Alderman Smith.
In terms of alcohol confiscations, the final totals are not yet available as checking in alcohol is a time-consuming process that requires numerous checks and balances. As at 13:00 today, there were just over 7 000 bottles of alcohol in the City pound, totalling nearly 5 000 litres.
The Identikidz programme was implemented on various priority beaches, with just under 29 000 children tagged over the New Year long weekend. A total of 47 children were reported lost, but were reunited with their families. One other was handed over to a social worker from the Western Cape Department of Social Development at Big Bay on New Year’s Eve.
On the roads, Cape Town Traffic Services screened 17 070 motorists for alcohol and issued 269 609 written notices during the month of December. They arrested 1 441 suspects, including 588 for driving while intoxicated, 449 for outstanding warrants and 151 for reckless and negligent driving. Officers also impounded 501 cellphones.
‘We ramped up our enforcement efforts in recent weeks, but as many motorists will have learnt by now, we do rigorous checks for drunk driving and other serious transgressions on a regular basis. To those who put their own safety and the safety of others first this festive season, we thank you and ask that this be the approach all year round,’ said Alderman Smith.
Statement issued by Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security; and Social Services, City of Cape Town, 2 January 2017
