Open letter to the Mayor about fireworks

Madam – Letter to Mayor Afzul Rehman.

I trust you’ve had a nice festival season and had a good rest.

However, I cannot say the same for the residents of Pioneer Park. The lack of updated by-laws on fireworks in this town has changed it into something that sounds like a suburb in Syria: the bomb crackers and other fireworks exploded right outside our yards were frightening and caused my cat to literally poop on the floor with fright. She has destroyed the curtains in the bedroom where I put her to protect her.

The bombing started on Christmas and hasn’t fully stopped. Just now (2.20pm on January 2) there was a series of bomb crackers being set off not too far from my home. I tried to locate the offenders, but was not successful.

On New Year’s eve, the bombing started at 7.30pm and the last I’ve heard was at 2.30am. I went for dinner at the Tramonto Hotel – the bombs were exploded right outside the hotel in the street where my brand-new car was parked.

There is NO control over the use of fireworks AT ALL! How is that possible? I’ve consulted with the fire brigade and protection services and was told point-blank that the by-laws are from 1953 and have not yet been updated?

Existing by-laws in other towns and cities (sadly absent from a town the size of Newcastle!) state clearly the where and when and by whom.

The majority of people would like to see fireworks REMOVED from suburbs and taken to open areas like the large park opposite the car dealerships or show grounds. We’re not aiming to banish fireworks altogether, but they DON’T belong amongst homes where they are an annoyance to most and terrifying for animals.

I’ve had a lengthy discussion with Bebsie Cronjé but it’s clear absolutely nothing has happened since then (more or less 4 to 6 weeks ago). People are gatvol like you have no idea. The lawlessness of people disobeying common decency is no longer acceptable.

What is required to get the by-laws on fireworks to be made a priority to be discussed, updated and amended before the next round of this stupidity hits us again? Is there some kind of form I can complete? How do I go about this?

Please assist as I’m bent on getting this sorted out. I’m a tax-paying citizen and don’t deserve to have to be subjected to this kind of noise against my will.

Chris de Lange

Response from Mayor, Afzul Rehman:

On the said day I was travelling to Charlestown to join the march after intensive public mtgs that morning.

I was officially escorted by a traffic official as nn1 is not equipped with blue lights or sirens. Traffic officials, in the course of performing their duties, have the authority to escort traffic across traffic intersections. They do this ensuring that no lives are put in danger.

At no stage during that trip was my life or any other road user put in danger. The traffic officials are highly trained proffessionals who do this on a regular basis. I only make use of traffic escorts during periods when I have back to back meetings in different parts of our town.as u would appreciate, travelling from osizweni on the one side, to Charlestown on the other during peak hours, will literally take me an entire afternoon.

Unfortunately my engagements does not allow me the flexibility of time… I do however apologise if you felt that u were in danger at any time….