Cape Town - The lifting of lockdown curfew ahead of New Year's day ensured the City was a hive of activity as revellers ushered in a new year unrestricted, with much-needed relief for the nightlife business sector.
With no major crime incidents reported at the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID) on the weekend, the organisation said it was pleased the curfew had been lifted as it would reinvigorate the CBD economy, especially the restaurant sector, and boost the night-time trade.
CCID safety and security manager Muneeb Hendricks said other than a few incidents of fighting in public, no major crimes were committed in town on the eve of the new year, and order was restored swiftly when minor incidents occurred.
“Due to the curfew being lifted, thousands of people came into town to celebrate and see in the New Year and do the midnight count-down for the first time in two years.
“CCID Safety and Security deployed the maximum number of public safety officers, and working with our primary agencies, SAPS, City of Cape Town Law Enforcement and Metro Police, we were able to ensure there was a visible law and order presence in the CBD to ensure members of the public could enjoy themselves in a safe environment.
“On New Year’s Day, the CBD was peaceful, with people enjoying leisure activities. There were also very few petty crime incidents recorded,” he said.
Barans Restaurant owner Baran Kalay said while the relaxation of the curfew was a good indication, the results on businesses won't be seen overnight. Kalay said foreign trade was needed as business tourism and hospitality businesses could not only rely on the locals.
“Lifting of curfew alone is not going to help the majority of these businesses. The relaxation only means nightlife businesses can trade beyond certain hours but what about the daytime businesses that also need support and relief?
“People who work for the government, courts, and Parliament, and other offices which were a customer base for most of the dining businesses are either working from home or have moved out of the city.
“This had killed the business in the city as we are losing thousands of customers per day,” he said.
Mayoral committee member for Economic Growth James Vos said the lifting of the curfew would also be a huge relief to the hundreds of thousands of workers in tourism and hospitality.
He said they would continue looking at possibilities and avenues to get the industries and businesses functioning optimally.
“In Cape Town, we are working hard to get the economic engine running at full force. We are revitalising the CBD for more economic opportunities, and I’m pushing to look at the Night-Time Economic Study again to see how we can revive 24-hour economic activity,” he said.