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Police Minister Bheki Cele has called on South Africans to adhere to the Disaster Management Act amendment regulations for level 3 of the lockdown.

His appeal comes after government moved the country to lockdown level 3 from level 1, in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

South Africa has now breached the one million mark of COVID-19 confirmed cases, with just over 27 000 deaths.

“We are making a clarion call for people to adhere to the regulations. Failure to do so has consequences.

“Alcohol cannot be sold anywhere, whether on-site or off-site. There must be no transportation of alcohol. Alcohol should not be moved, otherwise you will be arrested. We are going to be tough on people who sell alcohol during this time.

“There are people who are causing economic sabotage by selling alcohol. We are going to be tough on those who have licences and sell alcohol illegally.  Those licenses must be revoked,” Cele said.

The Minister was addressing the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) media briefing on COVID-19 restrictions, regulations and enforcement on Tuesday.

The briefing follows an address by the President on Monday on the developments in relation to the country’s response to the pandemic.

Cele warned restaurants against selling alcohol illegally during this time.

“Do not put alcohol in teapots in restaurants or in bottles with labels of zero alcohol. Don’t invite police to check on your business. We are calling on the industry to work with government,” Cele said.

Curfew

According to the regulations, every person is confined to his or her place of residence from 9pm until 6am daily.

Any person who fails to abide by the curfew referred to commits an offence, and is on conviction liable to a fine or a period of imprisonment not exceeding six months, or to both such fine and imprisonment.

“The wearing of a face mask is mandatory for every person when in a public place. Any person who fails to comply with a verbal instruction by an enforcement officer to wear a face mask commits an offence and is, on conviction liable to a fine or a period of imprisonment not exceeding six months, or to both such fine and imprisonment,” the regulations state.

Cele encouraged citizens to report to the police people who have tested positive for COVID-19 but are still out in public.

Cele urged the public to stick to the regulations, especially where funerals are concerned. A maximum of 50 people can attend a funeral, while observing a distance of at least one and a half metres from each other.

“Please help all of us. Behave so we can focus on fighting crime instead of chasing people who do not adhere to level 3 regulations.

“We want to urge young people because there was a narrative that young people do not suffer if they have the virus, but that narrative has changed. Everybody is a victim, so we need to work together,” Cele said.

South Africa now has 1 011 871 COVID-19 cases after the Health Department reported 7 458 new cases on Monday.

A further 336 COVID-19 related deaths were also reported with 109 in the Eastern Cape, while the Free State recorded 8, Gauteng 22, KwaZulu-Natal 49 and Western Cape 148.

This brings the total to 27 071 deaths.

To date the Eastern Cape has 167 239 cases, Free State 61 874, Gauteng 276 133, KwaZulu-Natal 185 946, Limpopo 22 896, Mpumalanga 35 162, North West 38 673, Northern Cape 24 920 and the Western Cape 199 028.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased,” said Health Minister, Dr Zwelini Mkhize.

A cumulative 6 469 025 tests have been conducted with 23 707 tests completed since the last report.

The recoveries currently stand at 849 974. This represents a recovery rate of 84%.

South Africa has breached the one million mark of COVID-19 cases in South Africa, after 9 502 cases were reported on Sunday, bringing the cumulative total to 1 004 413 cases.

A total of 214 COVID-19 related deaths were reported, with 123 in the Eastern Cape, 17 in Gauteng, 13 in KwaZulu-Natal, five in the Northern Cape and 56 in the Western Cape. This brings the total to 26 735 deaths.

“We convey our condolences to the loved ones of the departed and thank the health care workers who treated the deceased,” said Health Minister, Dr Zwelini Mkhize.

To date, the Eastern Cape recorded 166 849 cases, Free State 61 771, Gauteng 274 272, KwaZulu-Natal 183 653, Limpopo 22 705, Mpumalanga 34 920, North West 38 540, Northern Cape 24 870 and 196 833 in the Western Cape.

A cumulative 6 445 318 tests have been conducted, with 29 494 tests completed since the last report.

The country’s recoveries currently stand at 844 874, which represents a recovery rate of 84.1%.

Three traffic officers were arrested for alleged corruption and bribery during a joint operation by the Road Traffic Management Corporation’s National Traffic Anti-Corruption Unit and the Hawks in Mpumalanga.

The officers, who are employed by Emalahleni Municipality, were arrested on Monday morning when they reported for work in Witbank.

“It is alleged that the officers – aged 59, 53 and 38 – accepted bribes from motorists instead of charging them for traffic violations. They are expected to appear in court later today,” the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said.

The RTMC said enforcement will be intensified ahead of and during the News Year’s Day long weekend.

“Officers are preparing themselves for increased traffic volumes expected at the end of the festive season holidays,” the RTMC said.

African Union Chairperson, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged political actors in the Central African Republic (CAR) to desist from fomenting tension as a means of achieving sustainable peace and stability.

“The guns of insurrection must be silenced to enable the democratic will of the people of the Central African Republic to be expressed and realised.

“At the dawn of a new year, which brings with it the advent of free trade across our continent, we must do all we can to ensure that no country or region is left behind by conflict that denies citizens the right to peace, stability and development,” he said.

President Ramaphosa’s message came on Sunday, 27 December, as the CAR headed to the polls. He thanked the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) for the considered and progressive stance taken regarding the situation in the CAR ahead of the elections.

The AU Chairperson says the electoral process and its outcome in the Central African Republic must entail adherence to the Republic’s Constitution, decisions of the Constitutional Court and the provisions of the February 2019 Peace Agreement.

President Ramaphosa says an end to armed conflict is a prerequisite for free, fair and credible elections, which must in turn form the basis of peace that will benefit the CAR and the ECCAS more broadly.

The congestion at Beitbridge Border Post has been cleared and traffic has returned to normal.

“All lanes around the border have been cleared and the border has been easily accessible from the afternoon of 24 December 2020. This means that all travellers through Beitbridge have been processed and cleared,” the Department of Home Affairs said on Saturday.

The department worked with the Department of Health, the SA National Defence Force, the South African Police Service, the South African Revenue Service and the Limpopo provincial government to resolve the impasse that had led to traffic congestion at Beitbridge.

The Musina Local Municipality provided additional holding areas, which enabled vehicles going to the border to be released to travel in manageable numbers.

The municipality also provided ablution facilities and water along the route from the town of Musina to the port of entry.

“Travellers are urged to continue observing traffic and immigration laws as well as health protocols in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic,” the department said.

More than 3 000 motorists have been arrested throughout the country for allegedly violating traffic regulations since the start of December.

“The majority of suspects (1 328 or 43%) were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. A total of 496 or 16% were arrested for driving speeds above the legal limit,” Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC) said on Monday.

The highest number of drunk drivers were caught in Gauteng and Limpopo where 372 and 342 arrests were made, respectively.

The National Traffic Police arrested 352 motorists in the different provinces where it is deployed.

“The highest number of arrests for speed were made in the Free State province where 323 motorists were caught. The highest speed recorded was on the N1 near Ventersburg where a motorists was caught driving at 242 kilometres an hour in a 120 kilometre zone,” RTMC said.

Some of the common offences noticed so far involve people driving without driver’s licences, producing false documentation, reckless and negligent driving, overloading of goods and operating public transport contrary to the terms and condition of an operating permit.

Law enforcement authorities are now moving their focus into residential areas to curb lawlessness and prevent collisions involving pedestrians.

Limpopo Premier Chupu Stanley Mathabatha has warned residents about the resurgence of the Coronavirus in the province.

The warning comes after the province recorded an increased number of infections in four local municipalities, causing the province to be on high alert.

The four affected municipalities are Makhado, Thulamela, Polokwane and Thabazimbi.

“Among the major contributing factors of the second wave in the province is the behavior displayed by majority of young people during this festive season. Videos have so far emerged on social media platforms where young people are attending super-spreader events and completely ignoring health protocols,” the Limpopo provincial government said on Wednesday.

In the main, the super-spreader events in the province comprises soccer tournaments, street bashes, after tears gatherings, weddings, church services, drinking sprees at Taverns and Shebeens, to name but a few.

The provincial government said this current trend makes it eminent for the COVID-19 variant which makes it even harder for containment and will lead to the overwhelming of public health facilities in the province.

“We are reiterating our clarion call to society in general to treat this year’s festive season as business unusual. Parents are requested to take responsibility for the action of the youth. Movements should be limited as much as possible.

“Events should be attended by close family, few friends and a limited number of relatives. People are urged to wear masks, exercise social distancing, practice health hygiene at all times. We are under siege because of this pandemic and we should all practice the new normal,” the Premier said.

The latest COVID-19 statistics show that South Africa has a cumulative total of 940 212 cases of COVID-19. Limpopo has recorded 20 519 COVID-19 cases with 533 deaths and 18 694 recoveries.

Travelers are making their way home for the festive season and the Beitbridge post which bridges South Africa and Zimbabwe is experiencing high traffic volumes while trying to ensure compliance with the COVID-19 regulations.

In line with the regulations, travelers are required to produce their COVID-19 results to port officials prior to embarking on their journey. This, the Limpopo Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba says contributes to the high traffic volumes.

“We are now strict in producing the 72 hour results that are needed and therefore we have also made sure that the National Health Laboratory Services is stationed there to assist those who will not necessarily be having those results, so that is taking time,” said the MEC.

Ramathuba advised travelers to plan ahead and prepare their travel documentation in time to ensure smooth processing at the border.

“Fill in all documentation in time before you get to the border post. There are people who are not filling in the documentation and want to start the process when they arrive there,” she said.

While adherence to the COVID-19 travel protocols is causing a strain on the traffic, Ramathuba said the numbers at the border post were anticipated.

“Traffic volumes – we expected them to be very high – that’s why we went to the border prior to the opening of the border to prepare,” said the MEC.

Police Minister Bheki Cele has welcomed the arrest of three possibly high ranking figures of the criminal underworld, allegedly linked to an ongoing “extortion racket” of businesses in Cape Town.

Mark Lifman, Jerome Booysen and William Stevens appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates court on Wednesday, following their arrest by the Hawks Serious Organised Crime Investigation.

The trio was arrested in one of the phases of an ongoing investigation into extortion, dealing in drugs, fraud, corruption and money laundering activities of the Cape Town underworld organised crime.

Cele said the arrest is a huge victory in the fight against organised crime.

“This is only the beginning of our efforts as the police to tighten the grip on these crimes committed by the underworld and run extortion rackets that undermine the state and threaten the livelihoods of local economies,” Cele said.

The suspects were granted R100 000 bail each and are due back in court on 9 February 2021.

Hawks scam

Meanwhile, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has cautioned the public about scammers who are purporting to be members of the Hawks.

This is after the family of one of the accused persons arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation members for fraud allegedly paid R100 000 to a person who claimed to be a member of the Hawks.

According to Captain Matimba Maluleke, the bogus Hawks member allegedly contacted the family of the accused person and identified himself as Enos, from the Serious Corruption Unit in Polokwane and demanded money in order to squash the docket.

“After the money was paid, the family members of the accused became surprised when the matter was placed on the court roll as opposed to what they were promised by the bogus Hawks member. They then reported the matter to the real Hawks who are now busy with the investigations.

“Whilst busy with the investigation, another report about bogus Hawks member who was busy demanding money from the family of another different accused person was received,” Maluleke said.

The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation has warned the public that no member of the Hawks is allowed to call family members of an arrested person and demand money for their freedom.

“If they receive such a call, they must know that they are about to be swindled and they are requested to report to the nearest police station.”