89 Policemen arrested for flouting lockdown orders
As lockdown continues to be in place in most countries of the world, several people have been caught flouting the lockdown order in most African countries. Scores of government officials including 89 police officers have been arrested for flouting lockdown orders in South Africa.
As it stands, South Africa has the second highest number of confirmed COVID- 19 cases in Africa, just 25 cases apart from Egypt’s leading figure of 3490 cases. Even though only 58 people have died of COVID- 19 in the country from the reported cases, the lockdown order in the country is strict, not sparing officials and policemen as well.
The police minister, Bheki Cele, disclosed on Wednesday while addressing news men that the police officers were arrested for selling confiscated alcohol to people.
“Altogether 131 people including officials, councillors, health officials, correctional services, have been arrested,” Police Minister Bheki Cele told the media in Durban.
“Out of those, 89 of them are South African Police Service members.”
About a week ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa, rejected calls of people to lift the ban on alcohol and deployed more than 20,000 police officers along with the military to enforce the stay-at-home order on citizens with the ban of alcohol in place as well.
The police minister insisted that no one would be spared if found flouting the lockdown order as Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on Tuesday paid a fine equivalent to $53 (49 euros) for ignoring the stay-at-home order and a platinum mining company executive was last week released on a 60,000-rand ($3,200) bail for reportedly instructing miners to return to work despite a ban on mining that was in place at the time.
