CITY OF CAPE TOWN 21 NOVEMBER 2013 MEDIA RELEASE City services gear up for 2013/14 Festive Season The City of Cape Town is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for both locals and visitors over the Festive Season and has put a number of measures in place to minimise risk to public safety and to ensure continued service delivery. Thousands of domestic and international tourists, as well as local residents, enjoy Cape Town’s many attractions during the summer holiday season each year. This results in an increase in vehicular and pedestrian traffic, especially on priority days like Boxing Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. The City’s Festive Season Coordinating Committee, comprising representatives from all relevant Directorates and led by City’s Executive Director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, has devised an operational plan to mitigate any potential risks. The plan was presented to members of the media at a briefing today, 21 November 2013, and will be in effect until early in 2014. ‘The City of Cape Town’s integrated approach to the Festive Season underscores our commitment to being a safe and caring administration. We have put a host of proactive measures in place including visible policing on the roads and on our beaches which are a key draw card over this period. However, all of our plans will come to nought without the support and cooperation of the public, so we appeal to residents and visitors to do the right thing and obey the various laws and instructions of City officials. It’s in their best interests,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith. Key highlights of the plan are: Disaster Risk Management Disaster Risk Management staff, assisted by volunteers, will be deployed across the city at beaches and swimming pools to provide support services to lifeguards and law enforcement staff. They will also be on duty at tourist destinations to ensure crowd control. As a result of the successful roll-out of the IdentiKidz programme last year, the initiative will be extended to 26 beaches managed by the City. The Disaster Risk Management Centre will also run a fire safety campaign throughout the Festive Season to highlight the dangers of fires and to teach communities how to avoid fires that could result in loss of life, injuries, and damage to property and the environment. A dedicated Festive Season hotline is operational to deal with any complaints regarding services, repairs and maintenance at any of the City beaches, swimming pools and other recreational facilities. The hotline number is 021 597 6003. Law Enforcement The City’s Law Enforcement teams will work closely with their counterparts at provincial and national level to ensure effective law enforcement on the ground. Law Enforcement teams will be on patrol at the City’s busiest beaches and members of the public are reminded that the introduction, possession, and consumption of liquor in beach areas is prohibited. Offenders will have their liquor confiscated and receive a written notice to appear in court, with a fine of R500. This year, the first batch of 33 Volunteer Auxiliary Law Enforcement officers will boost operational capacity by joining permanent members on patrols. A geographical deployment plan has been drawn up to ensure the most effective deployment of resources during this Festive Season. Priority days have also been identified, where extra officers will be deployed on active duty. Traffic Services Traffic Services will focus on vehicle safety under the auspices of ‘Operation Exodus’ to help reduce the road death toll. There will be a strong emphasis on public transport vehicles, with officers stationed at various public transport interchanges, including Joe Gqabi, Bellville/Parc Du Cap, Mfuleni, Langa, Dunoon, Cape Town Station, R27 and Epping. Vehicle check points and speed checks will be set up in the vicinity of the interchanges. Traffic Services will also be attending to a number of special events over the Festive Season including the traditional Minstrel events, as well as increased traffic deployment around all of the beaches within the city. Free vehicle safety checks will be conducted between 2 December 2013 and 20 December 2013, Monday to Friday from 10:00 until 14:00 at the following vehicle testing stations: Joe Gqabi, Bellrail, Brackenfell, Durbanville, Goodwood, Hillstar and Kuils River. Gallows Hill will be closed for maintenance. Metro Police Metro Police will be focusing primarily on driver and vehicle fitness, drunk driving, the enforcement of by-laws and the transportation and dealing of illegal narcotics. Patrols will also be conducted in the vicinity of places of entertainment, routes to and from major shopping centres, tourist attractions, and business and residential areas to combat property crimes and to ensure a visible presence along main routes to and from our popular beaches. This year, the City will once again make use of Neighbourhood Safety Officers who are tasked with identifying any potential law enforcement problem in their areas and alerting the relevant authorities. Fire and Rescue Services The City of Cape Town’s Fire and Rescue Services section has increased its operational capacity to deal with the expected increase in fires over the summer months. The City has employed 120 seasonal firefighters on a contract basis from November to March, who are deployed at various fire stations to assist firefighters with vegetation fires. The Fire and Rescue Service has also started training 75 reservist firefighters who will have to volunteer at least 24 hours of their time per month – 40 of whom will be available for deployment by mid-December. In addition, the service has procured specialized 4x4 compressed air foam tankers that will assist in extinguishing fires more quickly, especially in the informal areas. Two helicopters and a spotter airplane have been procured for the summer season to assist in combatting veld and mountain fires. They will operate from the Table Mountain base at Newlands and from Stellenbosch airfield. In addition, Fire and Rescue Services will engage in ongoing community awareness sessions and educate residents about fire safety and how to prevent or mitigate the impact of fires. City Health City clinics will function as per normal over the Festive Season. Primary Health Care clinics will be open on weekdays, with the Western Cape Government’s 24-hour Community Health Centres (day hospitals) open on weekdays as well as over weekends and public holidays. The City’s Environmental Health section, together with Water and Sanitation’s Scientific Services section, will carefully monitor the quality of drinking water and recreational water during the Festive Season. There will also be an increased focus on monitoring food premises, accommodation establishments, public ablution facilities and special events. Cleansing The City has budgeted R10,5 million for cleansing during the Festive Season. Refuse removal will continue uninterrupted over this period (even on public holidays). More than 2 352 extra cleansing staff will be appointed to conduct additional cleansing in business districts and on scenic routes and beaches. Social Development and Early Childhood Development The City’s Social Development and Early Childhood Development Directorate expects an influx of people living and working on Cape Town’s streets over the Festive Season. The Directorate has partnered with the City’s Displaced People’s Unit and various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to reduce and adequately manage the number of people living on the streets, with special emphasis on facilitating a holistic, developmental and integrated approach to working with street people and developing programmes aimed at preventing further migration to the streets. These prevention programmes will include life skills and educational components. Sport, Recreation and Amenities The Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department has planned approximately 1 500 holiday programmes which will run daily, from 5 December 2013 to 15 January 2014. The programmes will be presented at the City’s various recreational hubs, swimming pools, beaches, resorts and sport fields. The Department will kick off the Safe Summer Season campaign with a free concert and recreational programmes on 30 November 2013 at Muizenberg Beach from 10:00 to 19:00. The inaugural ‘Camp Cape Town’ will also take place from 8 – 14 December 2013 at Zandvlei Resort. The Department has employed 180 temporary play leaders through the Expanded Public Works Programme, 75 through partnerships with various NGOs, and a team of volunteers to boost staff capacity and ensure that programmes are effectively implemented. Approximately 250 trained and accredited lifeguards will be deployed to various beaches between 10:00 and 18:00 daily. This is in addition to private lifesaving clubs on some beaches, Lifesaving Western Province’s volunteer services, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) and medic helicopter. The City will make beach wheelchairs available at ten of its beaches, which underscores our commitment to enhancing access to natural resources for all residents. The City is pleased to announce the opening of six spray parks in December. The parks are situated in Dunoon, Ocean View, Scottville, Khayelitsha, Valhalla Park and Nyanga. Spray parks are a safe and fun way for children and the physically impaired to cool off this summer without the risk of drowning. There will also be 226 lifeguards on duty at the City’s 36 public swimming pools this Festive Season. All public pools will be open between 10:00 and 17:00 daily, except for Blue Downs, Long Street, Strand and Sea Point swimming pools, which will be open from 07:00 to 19:00 daily. Regular checks will be conducted on public amenities at beaches and swimming pools to ensure that all bathrooms and showers are clean and in working order, facilities are kept neat and maintained, and that tidal pools at beaches are managed properly. An additional 86 temporary workers were also employed to assist with safety and security awareness and guiding patrons to safer swimming spots on the beaches. A total of 30 Shark Spotters will be deployed this Festive Season at Glencairn, Clovelly, Muizenberg Corner, Fish Hoek, St James, Kalk Bay, Noordhoek, Monwabisi Beach and Kogel Bay (The Caves). In Fish Hoek, additional shark safety will be provided by a shark exclusion net. The exclusion net is a moveable, environmentally friendly barrier which provides a safe bathing space by preventing any sharks from entering the bathing area. It is deployed on weekends, public holidays and school holidays (weather permitting) and, on days that it is deployed, operational hours will be from 09:00 to 17:00. MyCiTi bus service From 9 – 24 December 2013, all MyCiTi services will be extended by 30 minutes, except for the Airport route that will operate as per normal. On 31 December 2013, all services will be extended until 01:00 of the morning of 1 January 2014, except for the Airport service that will still operate as per normal. All time tables and route maps are available from myciti.org.za, from the mobi-site at mycitibus.mobi or by calling the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63. Events The Festive Season kicks off with a free public concert at the Grand Parade on Sunday 1 December 2013, followed by the switching on of the festive lights in Adderley Street later that evening. The Cape Town Summer Market runs from 14 December to 30 December 2013 and the celebrated fan walk will be the venue for Reconciliation Day celebrations on 16 December 2013. Cape Town will host a New Year’s Eve bash on the Grand Parade, while the popular Tweede Nuwe Jaar parade will take place on Saturday 4 January 2014 in the city centre. The third edition of the African Nations Championship 2014 (CHAN 2014), with matches scheduled for both the Cape Town and Athlone Stadiums, takes place from Saturday 11 January to Saturday 1 February 2014. The Mother City will host the opening and closing ceremonies, and be the home base for Bafana Bafana. Baboons Residents and visitors to the South Peninsula are reminded to keep windows and doors of vehicles and homes securely closed in areas that are known for the presence of baboons. Please remember that it is illegal to feed baboons. Leaving food out or not securing your waste in baboon-proof bins encourages baboons to enter urban areas. Once in town, baboons run the risk of being injured by pellet guns, attacked by dogs, poisoned or hit by cars. Baboons also pick up human diseases and parasites through contact with human waste, and conversely, they are also carriers of diseases and parasites which can be transmitted to humans. Visitors are requested to avoid interaction with baboons and not to interfere with the work of the Baboon Rangers. Rangers use paintball markers to keep baboons out of urban spaces and humans safe. Please remember that it is illegal for any person without a permit to use these devices for baboon management. General safety tips • Report emergencies (including medical, crime, fire and traffic) to the 107 emergency number from a Telkom line. Cellphone users need to dial 021 480 7700 • Motorists are encouraged to make use of Traffic Services’ free roadworthy testing services • Obey the instructions of lifeguards and only swim in designated bathing areas on beaches which will be indicated by yellow and red flags positioned by lifeguards • Pay close attention to the shark warning system of the Shark Spotters, and always follow the instructions of the lifeguards on duty • Be sure to discard cigarette butts properly and put out braai fires or open flames to minimise the risk of runaway fires • In and around the home, switch off all electrical appliances after use and limit children’s access to matches and lighters • In summer there is a higher incidence of diarrheal disease. Washing hands before preparing food and after toilet use, ensuring that food is prepared in hygienic conditions and kept refrigerated, as well as keeping flies away from prepared food, are some of the measures that should be taken to prevent diarrheal disease • Residents who will be away on holiday should ensure that they visit their local health facility to obtain their vital medication. Alternatively, their appointment cards can be taken with them so that the local primary health care clinic closest to their holiday destination can be accessed End Issued by: Integrated Strategic Communication and Branding Department, City of Cape Town Media enquiries: Alderman JP Smith, Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 1311 or Cell: 083 675 3780, Email: [email protected] Richard Bosman, Executive Director: Safety and Security, City of Cape Town, Tel: 021 400 3355 or Cell: 079 269 2239, Email: [email protected]
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 04:57:44 +0000
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