Guy Fawkes: Rules, regulations and warnings from NMBM

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

With 5 November 2014, being Guy Fawkes Day, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality would like to make a strong appeal to all members of the public to comply with the rules and regulations around the display of fireworks, especially regarding area and place. Importantly, members of the public are not allowed to set off fireworks at their homes or in residential streets. The Municipality requests the public to be mindful of the potentially traumatic effect the fireworks have on animals and pets, hence the need to set off fireworks only in designated areas.

Let us work together to prevent a recurrence of the annual increased incidences on and after Guy Fawkes Day of animals who are lost or injured on our roads as they try to escape the noise of the fireworks. In this regard, residents are requested to, if at all possible, keep their pets and animals indoors throughout Guy Fawkes night or at least make sure that they cannot escape from their premises.

The places where the discharge of fireworks is legally permitted as defined in the Explosives Act 26 of 1956 and the Regulations framed thereunder, are as follows:

1) All Public Parks and developed public open spaces, other than Settlers Park and St Georgesâ€™s Park (all proclaimed nature reserves remain excluded) provided such Park or developed Public Open Space

Is not within 500 m, measured from nearest point to nearest point direct, from

A hospital;

An animal hospital or veterinary surgery;

An establishment at which animals are lodged on behalf of others for reward;

An old age home catering for the frail / semi-frail aged;

A petrol filling station;

A bulk storage installation for petroleum products or other flammable products..

The following beach areas, as defined below:

a) Joorst Park Beach:

The sandy beach area as well as the back of beach grassed areas within the resort â€" the sand dunes remain excluded.

b) Wells Estate Beach:

The sandy beach and the back of beach grassed areas â€" the sand dunes remain excluded.

c) Bluewater Bay Beach:

The flat sandy beach area from the Swartkops River Mouth up to the Coega River â€" all dune areas remain excluded.

d) Southern Beaches:

The sandy beach area from a line subtended across Kings Beach from the Supertube to the sea at right angles to the low water line (i.e. from in line with Supertube) in a general southerly direction, as far as a similar line subtended through the Beacon opposite Admiralty Drive, provided that aerial fireworks will be discharged on that area of Kings Beach to the north of MacArthur Baths without the specific permission of the Department of Civil Aviation. All dune and back of beach-grassed areas remain excluded from the designated area.

Residents who intend to discharge fireworks in the designated areas must first obtain prior permission from their Ward Councillor.

DISCHARGE OF FIREWORKS WILL ONLY BE PERMITTED BETWEEN 18:00 AND 21:00 UNLESS PERMISSION HAS BEEN OBTAINED FROM THE APPROPRIATE AUTHORITIES TO DISCHARGE FIREWORKS OUTSIDE THESE TIMES

Offences and penalties:

A person who has committed an offence in terms of the Fireworks Discharge By-law will, on conviction, be liable to a fine, or in default of payment, to imprisonment, or to such imprisonment without the option of a fine, or to both such fine and such imprisonment, and in the case of a successive or continuing offence, to a fine for every day such offence continues, or in default of payment thereof, to imprisonment.