The City of Cape Town plans to approach the Western Cape High Court for an interdict against police interference following the Minister of Police Bheki Cele interrupting a film shoot on a Cape Town beach on Wednesday [December 16].
Under the new lockdown regulation, Cape Town beaches may only be open to the public from 6am to 6pm, and a number of COVID-19 restrictions apply.
On Wednesday, Law Enforcement officers accompanied Cele on a walkabout on some of the city’s beaches to ensure the public was complying with these new regulations.
While conducting his inspection of the picturesque Camps Bay Beach, Minister Cele interrupted a crew that was filming on the beach. It is believed the crew was shooting a commercial, and The City of Cape Town has now threatened legal action against Cele as the party insists the crew had permission and the relevant permits to allow them to film there.
As reported by News24, JP Smith, the City of Cape Town’s Mayco Member for Safety Security and member of the DA, told Cele: “I’m happy to take this up with the filming officer. Our head of filming assured me that this is within regulations.”
“Shutting down the film production without proper cause is an illegal action and it goes against the current national state of disaster regulations, which allows the film industry to continue working,” Smith said. “I am concerned that a political office bearer appears to be issuing unlawful instructions to operating staff where SAPS officers continued to execute this unlawful behaviour.”
Smith added that filming is a work activity, was not a recreational activity, and should not be misconstrued as such.
Cele argued that filming could not continue, as it went against regulations.
“According to the permit of the production company that was handed to the SAPS, the production would go against the very rules set out by the President, which is clear on what is permitted on beaches and therefore could not be allowed to continue as such,” Cele said.
Cele also paid visits to Clifton, Strand, Monwabisi, Big Bay, Strandfontein and Macassar beaches on Wednesday.
Picture: TripAdvisor