FIREWORKS PRICES SOAR, COUNCILS WARN AGAINST NOISE

MBABANE – If you think the price of cooking oil is high, just have a look at how  much fireworks cost.

Fireworks have become the signature of the skyline during the crossover into the New Year  but this year, the skyline may not be as bright as the previous years. Shops that sell fireworks revealed that there has been a decrease in the number of people buying fireworks. *Popat, who is a shop owner said the price was very high such that he also did not stock  a lot to sell as he suspected people may not buy them. He said it appeared many people were not buying fireworks  compared to 2021, where most wanted to celebrate using them. He said the main reason was the price.
“They are saying the prices are very high,” he said.

Favourite

He said last year, a favourite box of fireworks cost about E700 but it was now valued at E1 300. He said this was almost double the normal price.
*Java, who also owns a shop said he also noticed that people were shunning fireworks because of the prices. He said the prices could have been affected by COVID-19 in 2020 as some manufacturers were trying to recover losses they made during the pandemic. Meanwhile, city councils and town councils have warned against the use of very loud fireworks. The Municipal Council of Mbabane Public Relations Officer Lucky Tsabedze said the council usually advised members of the public not to use very loud fireworks.

Distinguish

He said some fireworks were very loud such that one could not distinguish whether it was a bomb or gunshot. However, he also said generally, even the smaller fireworks were not preferred because they affected pets especially dogs negatively. “This causes dogs to be frightened,” he said. Tsabedze urged residents to be mindful of others and not make very loud noises. This was also the same message that was echoed by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pigg’s Peak Town Council Mzwandile Ndzinisa. He also warned that members of the public should avoid loud noises because this not only disturbed neighbours but was also not good for animals.

Post your comment

Your name:

Your e-mail address:

Add your comments:

Please enter the code you see in the image:

Image:

Code: