The government is appealing to communities and some organisations not to take the law into their own hands to enforce lockdown regulations.
The appeal came in a statement from the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure on Sunday as the country enters the second week of the lockdown.
National police spokesperson, Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo, said so far the “greater majority of the nation has been very co-operative in adhering to the Disaster Management Regulations.”
However, he said the call for greater adherence to the regulations comes in the wake of several incidents, including one recently in Nelson Mandela Bay where he said “taxi operators” tried to stop motor vehicles transporting essential service workers to work.
Naidoo also highlighted incidents in Mpumalanga and Gauteng where he said people stormed supermarkets demanding that the store manager provide all employees with gloves and masks.
“The South African Police Service will continue to act on all complaints received as no one has a special provision to act in a manner that is contrary to the Regulations governing the lockdown period,” he said.
Naidoo also said that the security forces are involved in ensuring safe and conducive areas for the
thousands of field workers who will be conducting screening and testing for covid19 in communities countrywide.
(Image:SAPS Facebook)
