More than 1,000 arrests in one day for contravening lockdown laws

More than 1,000 people were arrested in SA on one day for not complying with regulations relating to the national lockdown.

Police minister Bheki Cele said this on Monday.

Cele said 1,108 people were arrested in the country on Saturday, and those who continued to ignore strict regulations would face the full might of the law.

Cele, accompanied by national police commissioner Khehla Sitole, addressed journalists at the KwaMashu Shopping Centre, north of Durban, where hundreds of people had queued to collect their social grants.

“We will continue to nudge them towards compliance. We will push them when the need comes. The regulations that are there must be respected.”

Despite police restricting the number of people allowed into the centre, social distancing remained a major concern.

Cele said this was the first payout since payday and the government would use this as an opportunity to learn about what they needed to implement in future.