Fireworks illuminate the sky. Photo: Wikipedia.org

The “massive headache” of Guy Fawkes is over for another year. According to the City of Cape Town nearly 30 000 people visited designated firework sites on Guy Fawkes (5 November). Table View and Maiden’s Cove were the busiest sites, with 15 000 and 10 000 estimated revellers respectively.

The two sites also accounted for the highest number of injuries… The most severe injury occurred in Table View where a 14-year-old boy lost part of three fingers on his left hand while handling an exploding fireworks device and had to be treated by medical staff on scene before being transported to hospital. According to the City of Cape Town the number of Guy Fawkes related injuries recorded this year were higher than before.

Law enforcement had their hands full
The City’s Law Enforcement Department received 528 complaints about the illegal sale of fireworks on 5 November. Overall, officers confiscated 1 250 boxes of fireworks and 10 distress flares and issued 23 fines totalling R34 500 for the illegal sale of fireworks.

We can do without this
“Guy Fawkes continues to be a massive headache that we can frankly do without,” the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith said in statement released today. “The City has done all it can in terms of our legislated authority. Given the ongoing complaints from the public, we hope that National Government will look at banning the sale of fireworks as trying to stop the ensuing chaos once those fireworks are in circulation is almost impossible.”