Johannesburg: There will be a single site for bursting crackers in Cape Town this Diwali, an official said, as the city's municipal authorities backed down on a last week decision to not have designated places to set off fireworks. The change of decision comes after members of the Hindu community and the South African Hindu Maha Sabha (SAHMS) threatened to take legal recourse.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Cape Town, J P Smith, announced that a special area will be set aside at a stadium to allow people to set off fireworks. The authorities had initially said there would be no firework sites for Diwali and Guy Fawkes Day, which is a few days after the festival of lights, as well as on New Year's Eve. Cape Town is the oldest city of the country and the seat of Parliament. "We were set to legally challenge the decision to not have any places to set off fireworks because it would have violated the right to equality and freedom of religion, which are guaranteed in sections 9 and 15 of the Constitution," SAHMS president Ashwin Trikamjee said.