Police probe two deaths after festive lights mayhem in Cape Town

Authorities confiscated dangerous weapons and hundreds of bottles of booze during the annual Festive Lights Switch-On event in Cape Town over the weekend, where some festival-goers looted a bicycle shop in the early hours of Monday morning.

Police are also investigating the deaths of two people in the CBD around the same time.

JP Smith, mayoral committee member for safety and security, said the city’s safety and security directorate would meet relevant roleplayers to conduct a debriefing session around the event.

“An estimated crowd of 39,000 people attended the event on the Grand Parade on Sunday December 2 2018,” he said in a statement.

A joint operations centre set up at the venue to coordinate security and emergency personnel did not record any major incidents during the event, although weapons such as knives and imitation firearms were confiscated, along with alcohol.

Authorities confiscated 407 bottles of alcohol, less than the 1,818 bottles confiscated at last year's event.

“The South African Police Service has indicated that 15 cases of robbery were registered at the Cape Town Central police station and that five arrests were made related to these cases,” said Smith.

“It is unfortunate, but the reality is that any large public access event is likely to attract a criminal element and we will probably never know the true extent of incidents like theft, as many people do not report the incidents.

“We have subsequently learnt that the SAPS is investigating two deaths in the central business district. One of these occurred in the early hours of this morning.

"Details around the second incident are still unclear as the person passed away in hospital.”