Police Minister, General Bheki Cele says 17 209 people have been arrested since the kick-off of the 21-day lockdown period in the country.
He says most of the arrests were made in the Western Cape with 4 769 whilst 1 613 were nabbed in the Eastern Cape.
Provincial Breakdown of Total Arrests:
Gauteng - 1 888
Western Cape - 4 769
KwaZulu Natal - 1 845
Eastern Cape - 1 613
Northern Cape - 832
North West - 1 562
Free State - 3 098
Mpumalanga - 752
Limpopo - 850
TOTAL - 17 209
The offences vary between transport-related offences, liquor-related and the general non-compliance with the lockdown regulations.
Meanwhile, the Minister clarified and emphasized that cigarettes are not an essential item and the sale thereof is prohibited across the country.
Minister Cele reiterated the need by Provinces to align themselves to the National Regulations, and not to unilaterally sanction their own unauthorized province-specific version of the Regulations as this ends up confusing the public and of more concern, confusing the law enforcement agencies who are expected to enforce the National Regulations.
