Safety around Cape Town will be a top priority this festive season as close to 900 youth cadets will join law enforcement agencies during patrols.
According to JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security, a total of 890 cadets will be deployed across various sites within the city. “They will be patrolling our 307 km coastline, 16 swimming beaches, municipal swimming pools, mountain and hiking trails, shopping centres and high-risk communities. We are increasing the presence so that we can have the safest festive season we can, and everybody can have a good new year with only good memories.”
Smith says officers will have a “no-nonsense approach” and bring offenders to book. “Leave the alcohol at home. You do not need alcohol at everything you do; it causes only misery. In the end there will be lives lost for lack of judgment and for the recklessness that alcohol causes,” he warns.
He says driving under the influence remains a concern with increased arrests over the past few months.
“We are executing 100 to 150 arrests each weekend for drunk driving. We will catch you. We are doing everything possible. It’s terrible to spend your festive season in jail and being prosecuted. Do not drink and drive, let someone else drive or take a taxi,” cautions Smith, and appeals to Capetonians to be responsible.
To report fires and suspicious activity call the City’s emergency call centre. Roughly 80% of calls are answered in the first 10 seconds. They will take those calls and get them through to dispatch.”
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says an influx of visitors is expected, which will be a welcome boost to the local economy.
“We are excited to welcome the world to our pristine beaches, where we will be pulling out all the stops to ensure a safe and enjoyable festive season. Visitors can expect well-trained lifeguards, an extensive child safety programme to prevent lost children, vehicle checkpoints, visible policing, and bolstered area cleaning services.”
To ensure the safety of beachgoers the City is deploying 340 beach lifeguards and 343 swimming pool lifeguards.
Lifeguards will be deployed at 29 different beaches, tidal pools, stretches of coast, and all public swimming pools between 10:00 and 18:00 daily.
Partners include Lifesaving Cape Town, with 14 clubs along the coast, and the National Sea Rescue Institute, who are on standby to make emergency deployments of rescue swimmers and vessels operating from eight base stations across the city.
Parents are encouraged to be extra vigilant with their children at beaches.
The City’s Identikidz child safety project will be active. Last year they tagged more than 130 000 children.
According to Patricia van der Ross, Mayco member for community services and safety, Cape Town has seen an improvement in drowning statistics over the past three years.
Fatal drownings were down 26% in the 2023-’24 summer season when compared to the same period the previous year. Thirty non-fatal drownings, 14 fatal drownings and 80 rescues were recorded along the coast in the 2023-’24 season. No fatal or non-fatal drownings were reported at municipal swimming pools.
“One drowning is one too many. Even more heart-breaking is that all of the fatal drownings last season happened outside designated bathing areas, or during times when lifeguards were not on duty.
“Our lifeguards are dedicated professionals who play a crucial role in safeguarding beachgoers, but it is a shared responsibility. Please adhere to the rules, and support our lifeguards, so that we can ensure a safe and memorable beach experience for everyone.”
Beachgoers are encouraged practise safety when at the beach:
- Always swim on a beach with lifeguards on duty, and between their red and yellow flags.
- Do not leave children unsupervised in or around water.
- Do not swim under the influence of alcohol.
- Beware of rip currents. If you’re caught in a current, try to stay calm and signal for help.
Contact the City’s emergency call centre on 021 480 7700.
