Cape Town – Cape Town’s nightlife could be shut down as the province’s Disaster Management Centre prepares for a deployment of law enforcement officials specifically targeting bars and entertainment venues.
Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said: “We have committed to the province that we will be providing additional resources. We will be targeting entertainment venues and entertainment and we will be enforcing our regulations more aggressively.”
Smith said they had started handing out fines to those who did not comply with the lockdown regulations.
“They are not popular but we have to do everything we can to prevent us from going to level 3.
“Taverns, in particular, have proven to be super spreaders and have been a contributor to accidents. With the current Covid-19 resurgence, our health-care system needs all the help it can get.
“We therefore call on the public to do their bit, and adapt their behaviour accordingly, and most importantly, to note the difference between alcohol use and alcohol abuse,” he added.
The next two weeks for the country are crucial as President Cyril Ramaphosa met the National Coronavirus Command Council yesterday.
The country’s state of disaster expires next Tuesday.
The discussion comes amid fears of a possible stricter lockdown as the number of coronovirus infections spike in some parts of the country, including the Eastern Cape.
Meanwhile, some regions in the Western Cape will no longer allow public events which may lead to large numbers of people.
Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning MEC Anton Bredell said: “The region is seeing increases in Covid-19 infections.
“In addition there is an expectation of large numbers of visitors over the next few weeks which further increases the risk of infection.
“This requires drastic action which we are not afraid to take. Our work comes down to enforcing disaster management protocols to help slow down the spread of the virus in the Western Cape.
“We are doing enforcement with the resources at our disposal and in partnership with police, law enforcement, the departments of labour and health, to name a few.”
Bredell added the province’s Disaster Management Centre and stakeholders were already enforcing existing disaster management regulations across the province with roadblocks, blitzes and unannounced visits to high-risk areas to ensure compliance.
Long Street Association chairperson and owner of the Beerhouse, Randolf Jorberg, said: “With very few exceptions happening in the CBD, we have seen an incredible amount of checks by police already in the past couple of months since moving to level 1.
“We do not need more finger-pointing about what is happening in bars or entertainment venues.
“In Long Street, we have experienced huge amounts of checks which have bordered on harassment and intimidation.”
Cape Argus