Payday weekend sees 'problematic behaviour' spike in Cape Town

Payday weekend saw a spike in cases of assault, motor vehicle accidents and arrests for drunk driving across Cape Town.

The city’s public emergency communication operation logged 1,631 incidents over the weekend. Most of the calls were for medical assistance or bylaw transgressions. However, there were:

• 130 incidents of assault, compared to 84 the previous weekend;
• 49 motor vehicle accidents (vs 34 the previous weekend); and
• 23 pedestrian accidents, compared to seven the previous weekend.

“The 'payday weekend' phenomenon is not new, and it is any person’s right to let their hair down after a long week or month of work. The concern is, in too many instances, that enjoyment results in poor choices that end up getting an individual hurt, or them hurting someone else,” MMC for safety and security JP Smith said on Monday.

“For years we have highlighted the link between alcohol and public safety, as well as the consequences, so it really is disappointing to see the continued spike in public safety incidents whenever these payday weekends roll around.

“The trend was even more apparent during an evening spent with our enforcement services this weekend, where more than two dozen motorists were arrested for drunk driving, and nearly a dozen others for reckless and negligent driving – during just one operation.

“I cannot understand how so many of our road users continue to think that this type of behaviour is OK. It is not. Your actions could put someone in the hospital — or worse, the morgue — and you behind bars for a very long time.”

For the week of June 20 to 26:

• the city’s traffic service made 51 arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol and 16 for reckless and negligent driving;
• officers impounded 174 public transport vehicles and executed 1,294 warrants of arrest for outstanding fines and summonses;
• 36,356 speeding offences were recorded and 28,939 fines were issued for various traffic violations;
• metro police officers arrested seven motorists for driving under the influence (out of a total of 161 arrests for the week) and issued 2,951 fines for traffic and bylaw transgressions; and
• law enforcement officers made 80 arrests and issued 3,333 notices. 

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