A 59-year-old police officer arrested in Limpopo for failing to confine himself to his place of residence will appear before Mutale Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Police spokesperson Vish Naidoo says the police captain, attached to the Musina police station, is amongst the 40 motorists arrested last Friday night for violating the lockdown regulations.
“The police at Thohoyandou cluster they conducted a COVID-19 operation and they arrested 41 motorists including a South African Police Service (SAPS) member who is attached to Musina police station. The 59-year-old captain and the 40 other motorists were arrested for contravening the regulations of the disaster management act.”
“It is alleged that the officer failed to stop when he was ordered to do so. He was then cornered and subsquently arrested. The officer has been charged with failing to confine himself to his place of residence in terms of the regulations of the disaster management and he will appear at the Mutale Magistrate’s Court,” explains Naidoo.
People have been arrested for breaking lockdown regulations and transporting banned goods.
Last week, during his national address, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged people to stay at home and to continue adhering to the lockdown regulations.
Level four lockdown regulations
People are allowed to exercise between 6am – 9am within a 5km radius of their homes but are not allowed to that in groups.
No social gatherings are permitted.
The sale of alcohol and cigarettes is still prohibited.
Everyone should wear their face masks whenever people are in the public space.
People are still encouraged to stay at home and observe good hygiene practices.
Current confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the country
On Sunday, Health Minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize announced that South Africa has surpassed the 1 000 mark in the number of new COVID-19 cases, recording 1 160 new cases in the last 24 hours, which brings the total confirmed cases to 15 515.
Three new coronavirus-related deaths have also been recorded.
The death toll in the country now stands at 264, as at 17 May.
The Western Cape continues to be the epicentre of the virus in the country accounting for 890 of the 1 160 new cases.
