31 December 2021
Vimbayi Mahachi
It has become a norm for for many to light up the sky with fireworks and crackers on New Year’s eve as a way of ushering in the new year.
Police have however issued a stern warning against this practice.
The law enforcers have spelt illegality on fireworks on the day or afterwards. It is now a criminal and punishable offence where arrests will be warranted.
The police have banned firecrackers sighting that they pose a threat to both animals and humans.
The loud explosive sounds that are emitted by fire crackers cause confusion, anxiety and fear in some people and mostly animals. Domestic animals usually engage in fight or flight when the crackers are set off.
Police Spokesperson for Bulawayo Metropolitan Inspector Abednico Ncube said firecrackers are harmful to people as they can get killed or harmed if they are not handled properly.
“Some if not all firecrackers are so dangerous that they can harm, injure or even kill a person,” he said.
He alluded to the fact that in the past there have been reports of people who have faced health and other dangers caused by fire crackers.
“Experience has shown that some children have even lost their eyes as they were playing with firecrackers, so everyone should guard against the use of those firecrackers during New Year’s Eve,” explained Insp. Ncube.
The police are promising to be on patrol thus anyone found in possession of firecrackers will be arrested. This includes those who will be selling them too.
However, a few years ago there used to be fireworks display that would be showcased for all at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) grounds. People would pay to go and watch the colourful displays.
It was since banned as it is claimed that people in the surrounding areas complained that the noise traumatised their domesticated animals.
On the other hand some teenagers took the opportunity of that time to engage in immoral acts such as weed smoking, imbibing on alcohol, even some below the age of eighteen would engage in numerous jaw dropping practices.
While Insp. Ncube urged members of the public to stop buying fire crackers for children, as they these are harmful to their health and being, there were vendors as from Monday who were already selling these on the streets of Bulawayo.
Yesterday, there was an influx of firecracker vendors on in the CBD and its surroundings selling different kinds of fireworks.
At the time of publication of this story there was no statistics of vendors who had been arrested selling fireworks in the city, but Zim GBC News witnessed a whole lot of individuals buying the same.