‘Lawless’ church leaders will be arrested, says Cele while Lamola confirms no cases in prisons

At a briefing to table security measures in place to combat the tightening grip of anxiety flowing through citizens, Police Minister Bheki Cele said police stations had procured an adequate supply of gloves, masks and necessities to prevent the spread of the pandemic.

While the health department announced that bottle stores, restaurants and clubs were now not permitted to sell alcohol after 6pm, Cele reaffirmed the declaration and added that spotters would be appointed at taverns to insure businesses complied.

There will be no permission given to have more than 100 people at gatherings. While on the topic, Cele warned any pastors against lawlessness and stressed that any member of the church who did not comply with the new regulations would be arrested.

Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ronald Lamola seconded the call for reducing the number of prison visits as a measure to fight the growing grip of the virus.

He said measures taken to prohibit community members from visiting prisoners would be reviewed on April 15, 2020.

Officials who have travelled out of the country in recent weeks will be isolated, while courts will only allow a limited number of attendants. Exceptions will be made for the media as court matters will now be restricted to those with material or pressing matters.

He confirmed no cases of the virus at prisons thus far.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.