The South African Police Services have arrested a 23-year-old man in Pretoria for allegedly contravening lockdown rules put in place to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
These rules are outlined in the regulations of the Disaster Management Act 2002.
According to the South African Government News Agency, the suspect is likely to face charges of at least contravening Regulation 11B of the Disaster Management Act 2002.
On 27 March, snippets of a video featuring two men went viral on social media. In the video, the men were seen travelling around Pretoria with one of them continuously swearing, mocking efforts to curb the Covid-19 virus and allegedly bragging they do not comply with laws put in place to contain the virus. One of the men appears to be standing in front of a police station, swearing about the virus.
Police officers investigated the video and the suspect was found at a residential complex in the Lyttelton policing area. He was arrested and is expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on 6 April.
A police statement said, “The arrest of this suspect – as well as at least six other suspects that have been arrested for creating such videos and posting fake news – should be a reminder that the security forces enforcing the regulations to contain the Covid-19 virus have the capacity and capability to identify those responsible for such transgressions, however long it may take…The regulations are being enforced not to punish people but to protect lives against this pandemic.”
People are urged to view the Covid-19 virus seriously as thousands of people globally have lost their lives this to the virus.
Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
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