Mayor promises law and order

CANDICE BRADFIELD and JON HOUZET

THERE will be no compromise on law and order in Ndlambe on New Year's Day, according to mayor Sipho Tandani.

Tandani called a press conference to announce the municipality's festive season safety plan after a council meeting last week. The focus was on control measures for New Year's Day.

However, this has not comforted a group of residents who plan to take Ndlambe to court to compel the municipality to enforce its bylaws on drinking and noise throughout the festive season and the rest of the year.

Tandani acknowledged that revelers "pour into the area” on New Year's Day and residents had complained to the municipality about noise.

But he said the municipality had to "create a balance” as there was an outcry last year when they implemented law and order at the beaches.

Tandani has asked municipal manager Rolly Dumezweni, director of community protection services Nombulelo Booysen-Willy and her deputy director Fanie Fouche to draft a plan.

"We are improvising on last year,” said Tandani.

He said no public drinking would be allowed, including on the beaches. Vehicles will be restricted for West Beach.

"We will allow for the flow of vehicles but no parking,” he said.

The municipality has appointed four marshals to educate the public and create awareness about the bylaws, especially noise levels.

According to Fouche, these public amenities officials will be on duty from December 1 to January 6. They will work a night shift from 4pm to midnight from Monday to Friday. On the weekend they will work a day shift from 8am to 4pm as well as the night shift.

Tandani said it was up to the police to enforce the drinking bylaws.

"We need a strategy to stop this once and for all,” said Dumezweni.

The idea is to come up with a permanent solution in the new year.

Marina resident Dave Young, who is a member of a group of residents who sent a letter through their attorney giving Ndlambe 30 days to start enforcing its noise and drinking bylaws, said the problem was not limited to New Year's Day.

"The marshals have made no impact whatsoever," said Young. "The parties continue at the Beach Road braai pens."

He said the weekend after their 30-day deadline expired, and after the municipality promised to address their concerns, a huge, noisy party at the braai pens continued well into the night.

"I called the police, but they didn't even have radios because of the power outage (on December 2) - their switchboard operates on electricity," said Young. "They couldn't send any of their patrol cars."

Young said he eventually went to the police station at 9pm and found the charge office had one candle burning.

"When I asked them to respond to the noise at the braai pens they claimed the only thing they'd heard was choirs singing," said Young. "The reason they must have been singing with such gusto is evident from all the liquor bottles left lying at the braai area."

"Why do people in hired buses from East London come to Port Alfred to party? Because it's the only place they can drink in public with impunity. Because our cops are sitting in a police station with one candle burning," he said.

He said the concerned group of residents would gather evidence during the season and move forward with their lawsuit "as soon as the courts open in the new year".

According to Fouche, qualified lifeguards will be on duty at East Beach and Boknes from December 10 until January 3. Qualified lifeguards will be at Ndlambe's Blue Flag beaches, namely Kelly's in Port Alfred and Kariega in Kenton, from December 1 to April 30. Depending on how busy it is, between one and three beach marshals will be at West Beach to keep people out of the water.