'There's a small window for Capetonians to self-regulate and avert lockdown'

The City's Community Safety Mayco member JP Smith discusses concerns about nightspots spreading Covid-19 during season.

Large indoor gatherings have been identified as the cause of rising infection rates in parts of the Western Cape and neighbouring Eastern Cape.

To prevent Covid-19 'spreader' events over the festive season in the Metro, where there currently a resurgence of infections, the City is putting special measures in place to curb nightspots, bars and similar venues.

Alderman JP Smith, the City's mayoral committee member for Community Safety speaks to Refilwe Moloto about measures being put in place over the festive season.

We are in a difficult space where you have to divine between livelihoods and jobs on the one side and lives and safety on the other side.

We have prioritised resources to start doing more intensive enforcement, especially around liquor-selling venues.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

First Thursdays

Is it safe for this monthly event to go ahead?

That's the problem. There isn't a specific event. It is a day that is announced and people descend on the city. So there isn't an 'event' to cancel. There isn't a permit to withdraw.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

He says First Thursdays use considerable resources and the ratepayer is not bearing the costs.

We feel we should maybe amend our definition of 'event'. Perhaps an event organiser should be introduced for this particular event.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

If more restrictive regulations are implemented nationally, he says it will be put into place in Cape Town, but for now the regulations are more permissive.

If we do anything we get accused of being small-minded and petty.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

We tell people to please self-regulate aggressively.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

He warns that if Capetonians do not abide by these safety measures strictly over the next ten days, it is very possible national government may be forced to reintroduce a higher lockdown alert level.

Our economy will not survive another lockdown.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

I move around the city a lot and the willingness to do any social distancing or comply with Covid regulations is zero. There is not a mask in sight, or very few. I think there is general lockdown fatigue among the public now.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

He believes migration is a factor and the Western, Eastern, and Southern Cape are closely intertwined.

Many have homes in both areas and will visit both those homes and what happens in the one immediately affects the other.
JP Smith, Mayco member for safety and security - City of Cape Town

There is still a small window of opportunity for people to self-regulate before government steps in he notes.

Listen to the interview below: