Over 20K people arrested since adjusted level 3 lockdown in December

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Photo: SAGovNews

Police Minister Bheki Cele says police officers are still hard at work in apprehending people who violate Covid-19 national lockdown regulations.

This comes after it was reported that over 20 000 people were arrested and/or fined for contravention of the Disaster Management Act, since the start of the Adjusted Level 3 Lockdown on 29 December 2020.

Of which 7 455 of them were caught not wearing masks as mandated by the Level 3 lockdown regulations which were announced by the President late December and emphasised on Monday.

Minister Cele said that it is saddening to see that people still decide to not follow simple rules such as wearing masks which protects them more than anything else.

“The wearing of masks is both for your safety and the safety of others around you” said minister Cele.

He added that liquor traders and consumers were not spared as a number of 834 people were arrested on violations related to either alcohol sale, dispensing, distribution and transporting of alcohol.

“I want to stress the point that the law enforcement agencies do not enjoy making these arrests as these laws are there to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus that’s ravaging our country. However, officers of the SAPS are left with no choice but to act in the interest of saving lives.”