Policing the suburbs – authorities enforce lockdown regulations on NYE (pictures)

As South Africa marked a muted New Year’s Eve (NYE) under adjusted level 3 lockdown regulations, various law-enforcement agencies were out in full force to ensure compliance with the relevant regulations.

In Johannesburg, Gauteng’s MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko, joined in the operations that were not limited to the traditional hotspots.

“There is a tendency to think that we monitor townships and we disregard the suburbs, so today we are here in the suburbs and as you can see there is quite a lot of cars on the road,” she said.

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During the operations, authorities seized alcohol and affected a number of arrests.

Mazubuko also Tweeted that in the lead-up to NYE, provincial authorities arrested 749 wanted suspects for various crimes.

In the Northern Cape, the South African Police Service (SAPS) arrested a shop owner for selling fireworks without a license and confiscated fireworks.

In KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), police patrolled the beachfront to ensure compliance with regulations, including beach closures.

In Mahikeng, North West, traffic stops were conducted to ensure community compliance.

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