A man is arrested by the metro police for breaking the lockdown laws during a joint South African Police Services (SAPS) and South African National Defense Force (SANDF) patrol on day 31 of the national lockdown as a result of the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic in Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 April 2020. The patrol was in the high density areas of Hillbrow and Yeoville where civilians are still breaking the strict lockdown rules. Those that where breaking the rules where arrested. South Africa's Stage 5 lockdown is due to end 30 April 2020 when stage 4 will be implemented. Picture: EPA-EFE/KIM LUDBROOK
If you breach lockdown regulations, you can be fined as much as R5,000 and end up with a criminal record.
The judiciary has issued a list of offences under the Disaster Management Act that carry admission of guilt fines of between R500 and R5,000.
Judiciary spokesperson Nathi Mncube told News24 the chief magistrate determined fines annually, but there was particular interest in the latest fines owing to lockdown regulations.
“In terms of the Criminal Procedure Act, these fines are issued every year in agreement with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).”
Some of the offences that will result in a R5,000 fine being issued include:
– Unauthorised disclosure of information in the Covid-19 tracing database;
– Failure to de-identify and destroy information on Covid-19 tracing database within six weeks after the state of disaster has ended;
– Making intentional misrepresentations on any person infected with Covid-19;
– Publishing any statement to deceive another person about Covid-19, to deceive any person about the Covid-19 infection status of another person, or to deceive any person about any measures taken by the government to address Covid-19;
– Intentionally exposing another person to Covid-19;
– Executing an eviction order;
– Illegal gatherings in public places;
– Selling, transporting, dispensing or distributing liquor;
– Selling tobacco products; and
– Hindering, interfering with or obstructing law enforcement officers in the execution of their duties.
You can also be fined R3,000 for failing to close a non-essential business and R2,000 for selling non-essential goods.
Lesser amounts include R1,000 fines for a failure to confine yourself to your home and moving between provinces (outside of the grace period), as well as not adhering to the curfew of staying at home between 20:00 and 05:00 without a permit; R500 for running, cycling, walking beyond 5km of your residence and outside the allocated hours of 06:00 and 09:00.
News24 earlier reported that paying an admission of guilt fine would most likely brand you as having a criminal conviction.
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