There will be no fireworks for Bay's opening of season

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There will be no annual firework display to mark the official opening of the summer season in Gqeberha for the second time in a row this year.

The event which is one of the festive season highlights for holiday markers and beachgoers is one of the many cancelled municipal events this December.

Executive mayor, Eugene Johnson, briefed the media on the Metro's Summer Season readiness programme on Thursday.

While the event did not take place due to the country-wide Covid-19 lockdown last year, this year all municipal festive events will not take place due to challenges with the service provider.

Johnson says the three-year Summer Season contract ended and the city had to advertise and recruit a new service provider but the matter is now being handled in a court of law.

The mayor reassured Bay artists, who benefit from the festive events that they would not be left out in the cold.

She also sent a letter of recommendation to all event organisers urging them to cancel events that will have large gatherings as they tend to be super spreaders.

Johnson says this is not a punishment for any sector but it is a safety measure.

This will be the second year in a row that there will be no fireworks for the "Opening of Season" that traditionally happens every year on the 16th of December.

Last year, the country was on lockdown and beaches were closed.

Safety and Security

Mayor Johnson has made the following commitments in ensuring a safe festive season in Nelson Mandela Bay;

• Traffic Officers will have roadblocks where officials will be checking for COVID-19 regulation compliance, concentrating on high visibility patrols.
• With regards to beach safety, 35 seasonal workers have already been appointed including additional lifeguards.
• Extra members will be deployed to enforce by-laws and increase visibility around beaches.
• 250 workers have been recruited for street sweeping, litter picking, emptying of bins and clearing of illegal dumping.
• No Controlled Burning Permits will be issued during the period 1 December 2021 until 1 February 2022 due to the high risk of fires occurring.

Mayor Eugene Johnson at City Hall where she unpacked the Metro's readiness for the Festive Season.