Pretoria – Police in Zimbabwe have arrested more than 1 900 people for transgressing the 21-day lockdown imposed by president Emerson Mnangagwa to curb the spread of coronavirus (Covid-19).
State-owned The Herald newspaper reported that almost all the offenders were fined between $200 and $500.
The national police spokesperson, assistant commissioner Paul Nyathi, was quoted by the publication saying some were arrested for operating businesses without government exemptions to trade during the lockdown period.
“[On Sunday] 22 were arrested for liquor-related offences, 14 were nabbed for ferrying passengers without exemptions while 47 were arrested for operating businesses without exemptions. About 106 were arrested for unnecessary movement, 39 for gathering in public places and 179 for other offences,” Nyathi told The Herald.
“We also observed that a lot of people are not practising social distancing. Others are busy holding parties for large numbers at their homes thereby exposing others and their families to the virus. We are urging everyone to stop the habit. Others buy beer and drink in buses or just closing themselves in beerhalls and start drinking while inside. The police are fully aware of that and soon they will pounce on the offenders,” he said.
In neighbouring South Africa, a bride and groom were arrested at their wedding in KwaZulu-Natal province on Sunday for allegedly contravening the regulations of the 21-day nationwide lockdown imposed by president Cyril Ramaphosa to curb the spread of coronavirus.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo said approximately 50 people including the pastor and bridal couple were arrested in Hlabisa for contravening lockdown regulations pertaining to the amount of people allowed at a gathering.
"They are likely to be charged with the Contravention of the Regulations of the Disaster Management Act 2002," he said.
African News Agency (ANA)
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