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- The City of Cape Town received 334 calls related to the illegal discharge of fireworks.
- An elderly man was thrown out of his wheelchair and the chair stolen from him by young children.
- More than 80% of the cases were received on Guy Fawkes Day.
An elderly man was among scores of people attacked in the Western Cape on Guy Fawkes Day after he was thrown out of his wheelchair by youngsters who then made off with it.
According to the City of Cape Town's Public Emergency Communication Centre (PECC), they received 334 calls related to the illegal discharging of fireworks between 1 and 5 November.
PECC spokesperson Estelle Mare Le Keur said that 81% of these distress calls were received on 5 November, Guy Fawkes Day.
The City's law enforcement spokesperson Wayne Dyason said the elderly male was thrown out of his wheelchair by youngsters in Lavender Hill and that they made off with it.
It is unclear if the man got his wheelchair back.
"We also dealt with a motorcyclist who fell off his motorcycle after a bottle was thrown at him. We dealt with his injuries and escorted him home safely," Dyason said.
In a separate incident in Lavender Hill, people returning home from work were also attacked by groups and robbed.
READ | Cape Town to clamp down on illegal fireworks during Diwali, Guy Fawkes
However, law enforcement visibility deterred them from continuing the attacks as they had members static at these hotspots.
"The illegal sale of fireworks was also a problem, but frequent checks of shops helped control this. Groups of young people roaming and attacking people remains a problem," added Dyason.
Meanwhile, metro police spokesperson Ruth Solomons said they responded to reports of children attacking a WasteMart truck in Macassar.
"The group pelted the staff and vehicle with stones, as well as balloons containing paint and other liquids," said Solomons.
She added that the metro police vehicle was also damaged when the officer tried to assist.
"Eight children were taken to Macassar police station where they were handed over to their parents."
In Bishop Lavis, officers came across a large group of children roaming the street while responding to a complaint of fireworks being discharged. The group ran away when they spotted the patrol vehicle.
READ | ‘Parents will be held liable’
Solomons added that there were also complaints of stone throwing in Lavender Hill, while officers came across numerous children covered in shoe polish and paint.
At Sonwabe Beach, a taxi with approximately 15 occupants and three other vehicles were warned to vacate the area by authorities, as they intended to set off fireworks.
