THE SOUND OF VIOLENCE

AS CAPE Town braces for Guy Fawkes this Wednesday, cops and residents are pleading for calm, saying the fireworks bring fear, chaos and even tragedy.

For many Cape Flats residents, the days leading up to Guy Fawkes feels like life in a war zone, with children, pets and the elderly all on edge as fireworks echo through the night.

This year could be even more traumatising, with areas like Mitchells Plain, Hanover Park, Manenberg, Ocean View, Elsies River, Lavender Hill and Grassy Park reporting gunfire and running battles between gangs on a daily basis.

Retired Grassy Park station commander Lieutenant-Colonel Dawood Laing previously said that each year it causes a headache for cops because ahead of and on Guy Fawkes the klappertjies start going off and officers do not know if it’s gunshots or fireworks.

He said that gangs also use the sound of fireworks as cover to confuse residents and authorities so that they can shoot.

Just under a month ago, 12-year-old Moegamat Faizel Challis was killed when gunmen opened fire on the corner of Moira and Wendy Street in Tafelsig — and at first, his family thought the sounds were crackers.

His uncle Jodian Challis explained: “One of the people in the road passed away, so the family had the 40 nights according to the Islamic beliefs and they handed out party packets to the children.

"Faizel received his party packet and came back to the house and said to his mother that he wants to take his two younger siblings, aged 7 and 5, to get their party packets as well.

“His mother said she would take them to get their party packets herself, but Faizel was a very impatient child so he said he would walk ahead.

“The mother said she heard two shots and thought it was firecrackers because they were bursting firecrackers in the community but by the third shot they realised it was a gunshot.

“She heard the fourth shot and saw the two younger siblings running to her saying, ‘Mummy, dis Faizel'."

While fireworks remain a challenge, City officials say efforts to curb illegal use are showing progress.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith says that the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC) has recorded decreases in complaints related to the illegal sale and discharge.

The PECC received 74 calls of the illegal discharge of fireworks and 20 calls of the illegal sale of fireworks between 3 and 5 November 2024, having received 191 calls of illegal discharge and 32 calls of illegal sale the previous year.

Smith explained: “We’ve seen a marked downturn in the past two years of incidents reported to the City on Guy Fawkes Day.

“We understand that there might well have been more incidents and that these were not reported, but we are encouraged nonetheless by the apparent decline.

“In a city where we grapple daily with violent crime and gun violence, Guy Fawkes as a concept is nonsensical and trauma-inducing for those in neighbourhoods where the tradition still rears its head.”

He added that Mitchells Plain and Bonteheuwel had the highest number of reports, with irregular complaints in areas like Heideveld, Macassar Village, Manenberg, Ocean View, Cravenby and Grassy Park.

The City has issued stern warnings to remind residents that there are no longer designated fireworks sites and that no fireworks will be allowed unless a permit has been obtained to host a fireworks display.

Smith added: “In terms of Section 30 of the Explosives Act of 1956, the use or detonation of any fireworks in any building and public thoroughfare is liable to a R200 fine; selling fireworks to a child or anyone under the age of 16 is liable to a R300 fine; allowing a child or person under the age of 16 to handle fireworks without adult supervision is liable to a R300 fine.”

Smith advised parents to lead by example, keep their children indoors, make sure they know their children’s whereabouts at all times, explain to them the danger of fireworks and flammable items in general and overall to not buy them fireworks.

For pet owners, Guy Fawkes can be a hellish time for their diertjies.

Director of Chocolate’s Angels Animal Rescue Jason Hayman, who is known for previously chaining himself to a dog kennel to raise awareness for dogs living their lives on chains, says every year it’s the same - “chaos.”

Hayman explained: “Even if crackers are set off in the distance dogs usually get petrified. We treat a lot of the dogs before the time by using calming medicines, but it still does not make much of a difference.

“The worst case is dogs that get burnt as a result of kids that throw crackers nearby the dog. This then affects our team as we try to keep our dogs calm at the rescue, but then receive calls all over of dogs that are running around.

“Even if a cracker is set 100 metres away from a dog, they do not know what it is.”

Residents are encouraged to report any incidents, including the illegal discharge of fireworks, to the City’s PECC by dialling 021 480 7700.

As fireworks continue to divide opinion, one message rings clear from officials and animal lovers alike — celebrate safely, think of those affected, and remember that a moment of fun should never come at someone else’s expense.