Police and army crack down on non-compliance in KZN capital

KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula and provincial police were in Pietermaritzburg to lock down the city after complaints about non-compliance on Thursday.

Jula told TimesLIVE that while most residents were complying with the lockdown restrictions, some were “going about like nothing has happened”.

“Police and South African National Defence Force soldiers descended on KwaZulu-Natal's capital city at 5am and held roadblocks at major intersections.”

Jula was speaking at a roadblock in Edendale. He said 854 cars were stopped at these roadblocks.

He said three people were arrested for possession of illicit cigarettes, 10 had unroadworthy vehicles and several others were arrested for being out of their homes without a valid reason.

Jula said since the start of lockdown, 18,000 people were arrested for not abiding by the restrictions.

More than 260,000 people have been intercepted at more than 2,000 roadblocks.