In Quotes| Bheki Cele on lockdown extension, police brutality and no kissing
As Mzansi continues to be in lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, police minister Bheki Cele has added a no kissing rule to the list of things that should not be done during these unprecedented times.
Addressing the media in Secunda, Mpumalanga, on Tuesday, Cele called on South Africans to apply social distancing rules in their home with their partners.
Here are five interesting quotes from his address.
Social distancing
According to Cele, anything social, like hugging and kissing is against the regulations of social distancing
“When you get time to stay in, stay in. Maintain social distancing, even at night. Don’t come close to each other, no kissing, nothing."
Drinking water
Cele said requests for bottle stores to be open are null and void.
"Stop making this request for bottle stores to be opened for three hours. There are no bottle stores that will be opened here, not until the 16th... drink lots of water."
Pushing citizens home
He encouraged police officers enforcing the lockdown to push South Africans back to their homes if they refuse.
“I hear them (people) crying that cops and soldiers are brutal. Not listening to us is brutality.
"It's our duty. If you don't want to protect yourself and the rest of us, we must start by protecting you ... so we need to push a little bit."
Lockdown extension
The likelihood of a lockdown extension depends on how compliant South African citizens are during the remaining eight days, said Cele.
"People are asking, can we go beyond the lockdown? Anything is possible. The next few days are going to determine which direction we are taking.
"We would wish to go back to normal life as fast as we can, but we wish to go back with people alive."
Negative reporting
Cele said there has been a lot of negative reporting about police and urged the media to not circulate disinformation.
"There is a report that a member of the police raped a woman during the lockdown. This is untrue.
"It was the woman’s husband, who happens to be a police officer, who raped her. We don’t go out and report that a pilot raped someone or a taxi driver raped someone, why should it be any different now?”