Police have confirmed that no criminal cases have been opened in relation to a mass brawl at an entertainment venue in the Eastern Cape.
Festive season celebrations escalated to uncontrollable levels at Jeffreys Bay’s Jolly Dolphin, resulting in the hurling of glasses and fists.
While one patron was filmed being struck on the head with a flying glass, no gunshots or mass fatalities were reported.
Brawl at Jolly Dolphin
A mass brawl broke out at the Jolly Dolphin on Boxing Day, allegedly between two rival sets of motorbike club members.
The lengthy mass altercation was caught on camera, showing multiple patrons fighting, pushing and shouting.
After roughly a minute of footage, there is a lull in the brawl while one man lying on the floor receives assistance from friends.
Associates, seemingly querying the cause of the fight, then exchange words, with one young woman then seen launching glasses into a crowd out of shot.
Sporadic arguing among patrons is followed by the woman throwing more objects, before the clip reaches an almost eight-minute lull.
“Police can confirm that they attended to a complaint of fighting that broke out between two groups of bikers in Da Gama Road on Friday afternoon,” Eastern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli stated.
“The law-enforcement agencies managed to contain the situation, but so far, there is no criminal case that has been opened,” he confirmed.
Security measures improved
Management at the Jolly Dolphin issued a public apology on Sunday, stating that it would be implementing stricter safety protocols to protect patrons for the remainder of the festive season.
“We would like to make it clear that the Jolly Dolphin does not condone violence of any kind and does not stand for such behaviour.
“Security checks will now be conducted more thoroughly, and our overall security presence has been significantly increased,” read the venue’s statement.
Management has barred the brawlers from returning to the venue and urged holidaymakers to continue frequenting the establishment.
“All individuals involved in the fight have been permanently banned from Jolly Dolphin,” they stated.
“We sincerely regret the incident and any discomfort it may have caused. We would like to reassure our patrons that security is guaranteed day and night,” management concluded.
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