Johannesburg cops to fight fireworks, booze abuse
Johannesburg - Johannesburg metro police will enforce a city by-law to combat the misuse of firecrackers and alcohol this festive season.
"There have been many injuries to people and animals caused by the reckless discharge of fireworks, and alcohol abuse, over the past years," Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar said.
He said discharging firecrackers without the supervision of adults would be a punishable offence. Those carrying or drinking liquor at parks would also be arrested.
The time frames during which firecrackers can be discharged are between 19:00 and 22:00 on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
On New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, firecrackers can only be ignited between 23:00 and 01:00.
Minnaar said the contravention of this law would lead to the arrest and offenders would be issued with fines of between R1 000 and R1 500.
"Metro police officers will patrol the streets and parks to ensure the full adherence to this law."
- SAPA/News 24
Visitors leave Sodwana Bay
A discrepancy over parking at Sodwana Bay Beach has caused some holidaymakers to pack their bags and head home.
ISimangaliso Wetland authorities say an offer to repay fees to people who were unhappy with their stay has been taken up by a handful of visitors. Some tourists staying at the venue blocked roads leading to the beach for several hours on Sunday in protest against the new parking permit system. Eight campers involved in the blockade were served with eviction notices. The regulation only allows 200 vehicles per day onto the beach to reduce the impact on surrounding coastal environments. The Park's Terry Castis says the financial repercussions are not a major concern, as the park has had good occupancy this year.
"Inside the park, people were given the option of being refunded their accommodation if they were unhappy with the new arrangements. "I understand that some people have taken it up but I don't think it has been a particularly big impact," she said.
Meanwhile, Castis says the decision to regulate the number of vehicles onto the beach follows a directive from government.
Gauteng fuel supply remains tight, shortage widens
Three days before Christmas, Gauteng was still experiencing fuel shortages, the SA Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) said on Thursday.
"Sapia confirms that the petroleum industry is experiencing fuel supply constraints in some areas of Gauteng," Sapia executive director Avhapfani Tshifularo said in a statement.
"The supply situation is being closely monitored by the Logistics Planning Team, which consists of members of the petroleum industry, the department of energy and Transnet."
He said some service stations might face sporadic shortages of one or more grades of fuel as oil companies tried to reduce the delivery backlog.
"Everything possible is being done to improve the situation and we will continue to keep the public updated," said Tshifularo.
Earlier this week fuel company Shell said petrol stations were expected to run dry of certain grades of fuel. This was as a result of "production issues" at an inland refinery and the shut down of its Alberton fuel depot.
Shell spokesperson Elton Fortuin said in a statement that the shortage was now also affecting the Mpumalanga and Free State provinces.
Fortuin said this was because "the company is sourcing fuel from its depots in those areas to assist in alleviating the fuel shortage in Gauteng...
"Shell retail sites in Mpumalanga and the Free State are at also risk of intermittent stock outs on certain fuel grades," he said in a statement.
The company's Alberton fuel depot was shut down for safety reasons last Friday after a fuel leak and Fortuin said they hoped "to be in a position to restart the site later this week."
Pierre Spies hou lyf brandweerman
Dié foto, wat deur Pierre Spies se vrou, Juanné, geneem is, wys waar mnr. Walmar Slabbert (links) en Spies (regs) hard spook om die veldbrand in bedwang te kry. Foto: Juanné Spies
PORT ELIZABETH. – Met sy spoed en spierkrag speel Pierre Spies, nuutgekose kaptein van die Blou Bulle, gewoonlik die rugbyveld aan die brand. Maar Dinsdag het hy sy lyf brandweerman gehou en gehelp om ’n veldbrand by Port Alfred in die Oos-Kaap te blus.
Spies en sy vrou, Juanné, is vir die eerste keer saam in die Oos-Kaap om by sy vriend mnr. Walmar Slabbert op Port Alfred te kuier.
Spies het gesê hy, sy vrou en Slabbert was omstreeks 16:00 van die strand onderweg toe hulle die vlamme gewaar het.
“Die brand was naby aan my vriend Walmar se ouerhuis. Inwoners in die omgewing het baie bekommerd gelyk oor die sterk wind en baie rook.”
Spies en Slabbert het saam met ’n buurvrou en twee jong skoolseuns van die omgewing begin om brand te slaan.
“Ek was veral beïndruk met die twee jong manne,” het Spies gister gesê.
“Hulle het gesê hul vriende se huis is ook in die omgewing, dis waarom hulle ook kom help het.”
Altyd gedagtig aan fiksheid het Spies gesê die brandslanery het aan almal ’n goeie “oefensessie” gebied.
“Die brandweer het toe bygekom en die vuur heelwat makliker geblus,” het Spies gesê.
Die agsteman met die lang bene het sommer ook agter die stuur van die brandweerwa geskuif toe dit nodig geword het.
“Ons het selfs vasgesit! Slabbert was bo-op die wa met die waterpyp in sy hande. Hy was saam met die brandweerpersoneel besig om vir my aanwysings te skree oor hoe ek nader aan die brand kan kom,” het hy gesê.
“Ons was vir ’n goeie twee uur besig.”
Nadat die brand eindelik omstreeks 18:00 geblus is, het Spies en Slabbert besef dat die klere wat hulle aanhet “nou maar gebruik gaan word as ons weer ’n brand gaan blus of die kar gaan regmaak, maar ons het dit tog daarna als in die wasmasjien gegooi”.
Mnr. Khilukile Mbolekwa, woordvoerder vir die brandweer op Port Alfred, het die voorval bevestig.
Die Nasionale Weerdiens het gesê die wind het Dinsdag tot 32km/h in ’n suidwestelike rigting op Port Alfred gewaai.
Bloemfontein Owerheid waarsku inwoners
BLOEMFONTEINERS wat in die Kerstyd gaan lawaai, klappers en vuurwerk gaan skiet en met vierwielmotorfietse in die strate of in hoewegebiede rondjaag, moet weet hulle kan swaar gestraf word.
Sulke oortreders kan beboet word, of selfs agter tralies beland, waarsku die owerheid.
Geraasmakers kan met tot R20000 beboet word, of twee jaar agter tralies beland as hulle aan rusverstoring skuldig bevind word.
Mnr. Billy Barnes, bestuurder: omgewingsgesondheid van die Mangaung-metro, sê die Vrystaatse Geraasbeheerregulasie nr.24 van 1998 verbied steurende geraas.
Volgens Barnes lei rusverstoring of omgewingsgeraas veral dié tyd van die jaar tot onmin tussen bure.
Barnes sê die regulasie maak ook voorsiening daarvoor dat beslag gelê kan word op toerusting of instrumente waarmee geraas gemaak word. Dit kan ook deur ’n hof aan die staat verbeurd verklaar word.
“Niemand mag ’n opelug-musiekfees of soortgelyke byeenkoms hou sonder dat hulle vooraf skriftelike toestemming by hul plaaslike owerheid gekry het nie.”
Mnr. Sydney Mogaecho, adjunk-direkteur van verkeersbestuur in die Vrystaat, sê vierwielmotorfietse word onder geen omstandighede op Vrystaatse paaie toegelaat nie. Hy sê vierwielmotorfietse is ongelisensieerde voertuie en mense wat hulle daaraan skuldig maak, kan ’n boete van tussen R300 en R500 opgelê word, of selfs in hegtenis geneem word.
Kapt. Chaka Marope, polisiewoordvoerder, sê vuurwerk mag net deur gemagtigde gelisensieerde handelaars verkoop word.
Dit is onwettig om vuurwerk in ’n gebou en openbare plek af te vuur sonder die skriftelike toestemming van die plaaslike owerheid. ’n Boete van R600 of selfs tronkstraf van ’n jaar kan hiervoor opgelê word.
Mense word gevra om musiek sag te speel sodat hul bure nie gesteur word nie. Dit is raadsaam om eerder in ’n saal as by die huis partytjie te hou.
Mense wat oor geraas wil kla, kan die klagtesentrum by 0800-111-300 of 051-412-4000 tussen 07:00 en 22:00 skakel.
Ná ure kan mense die beheerkamer van die wetstoepassingsafdeling by 051-406-6452 of 051-405-8771 bel.
’n Beampte sal uitgestuur word om klagtes te ondersoek. Klaers sal versoek word om verklarings af te lê.
12/22/2011 03:45:00 PM