Dbn set for mass New Year festivities
Durban authorities have urged partygoers to be responsible ahead of massive celebrations to welcome the new year.
|||Durban - Have fun - but do it responsibly. That’s the message from authorities as half a million people are expected to converge on beaches across eThekwini for New Year’s Day celebrations.
Law enforcement officials are bracing for thousands of revellers packing bars, restaurants, and nightclubs throughout the city to see in 2016.
Police, Metro police and Road Traffic Inspectorate officers have planned dozens of road block for Thursday and hundreds of officers have been deployed along Durban beaches.
On Wednesday, in anticipation of the influx, eThekwini Mayor James Nxumalo and senior officials did a walk-about on the beach to gauge the city’s preparedness.
Nxumalo said he was impressed by the cleanliness of the beaches and was happy no major incidents had been reported.
“We are expecting no less than 500 000 people on our beaches and our top priority is their safety. There are a number of events taking place all over the city and our plan is to have police and Metro police out in full force.
“We have teams of cleaners on the beaches working around the clock to ensure they are kept clean and we will have a full complement of lifeguards. We are happy with the way things have gone so far,” he said.
But Nxumalo warned revellers against drinking in public.
“People must enjoy themselves, but they must do it responsibly. There are designated areas such as bars and restaurants where drinking is allowed, but not in public.
“Those planning to drink must not drive, and must ensure there is a dedicated driver. We also urge people coming to the beaches to look after their children, as there will be thousands of people.”
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, said law enforcement would continue to target drunk drivers and would embark on an “aggressive crackdown on New Year’s Eve”.
He said that since the start of the festive season, 336 motorists had been arrested for drinking and driving. Among them were taxi drivers with their vehicles full of passengers.
“We are going for a complete crackdown on drinking and driving on New Year’s Eve. That our integrated law enforcement teams have arrested more than 330 drivers who risk people’s lives by drinking and driving is a clear demonstration that traffic offenders (can expect) the harshest treatment, especially on New Year’s Eve,” Mchunu said.
“We urge everyone to have sober, designated drivers if they choose to drink and take trips. Those who will violate the law will spend New Year’s Eve and possibly the entire weekend in police cells.
“Experience has shown that most accidents happen overnight and in the early hours of the morning when people are coming from parties and other social gatherings.
“To deal with this reality we will stage 24-hour law enforcement operations in strategic spots,” said Mchunu.
Since the beginning of December, more than 177 000 vehicles have been stopped and checked across the province.
More than 180 crashes have been reported and more than 200 people have lost their lives since the beginning of this month.
Mchunu expressed his concern that 3 299 people had been caught driving without driver’s licences.
“We wish to register our disappointment at the fact that people continue to lose their lives on our roads.
“However,” he added, “we commend the good work by law enforcement agencies who have gone out of their way to save the lives of innocent people by arresting those errant drivers who have no regard for human life.”
Daily News
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