'South Africans are prone to breaking the law': Fikile Mbalula

Transport minister Fikile Mbalula has lamented that South Africans are generally prone to breaking the law, and are not going to stop because of the lockdown.

This after authorities at roadblocks prevented 341 cars from entering or exiting provincial borders without the requisite permits, comprising 231 cars in Gauteng, 86 cars in Mpumalanga and 24 cars in the Eastern Cape.

Mbalula also learnt of some motorists in the Eastern Cape in particular who were reported to be falsifying permits to move freely in contravention of the lockdown regulations.

This cannot be ruled out as something happening in many places across the country, said Mbalula.

The minister also reported that 32 e-haling drivers were stopped from carrying more people than the number allowed in terms of lockdown regulations while 56 taxi drivers also contravened the law.

He said law enforcement officers would be merciless with offenders.

“South Africans are prone to breaking the law, even without lockdown we have many cases of drunk driving and so on,” said Mbalula.

“People seek to misuse that particular process as defined in the regulations, but the law will find them.

“And those who are breaking the law, whether it is in the Eastern Cape like we know now, they would be taken on, and the rest of the country will be on high alert that there is a scam doing the rounds of fake travelling permits because the stamp of the police station is the most cheapest one that people can use to promote fraudulent activities.

“We will strengthen the arm of the law to deal decisively with those who will flagrantly disregard the regulations and expose us to possible infection through their reckless behaviour. Our law enforcement officers must enforce the law without fear or favour and adopt a no-nonsense approach towards those who continue to place the lives of others in harm's way,” he said.