Police Minister Bheki Cele says he’s worried that the sale of alcohol during Level 3 will further burden police trying to enforce lockdown regulations. He was doing a walkabout in KwaDukuza, north of Durban.
Cele says he expects serious crime to shoot up when alcohol is sold on 1 June.
The iLembe District has been identified as one of the COVID-19 hotspots. The illegal movement of people is a major concern.
During one roadblock, over 20 arrests were made.
Cele says the easing of the regulations on Monday will have a negative impact. “People that are sick and people that suffer from COVID-19 are not going to get space to be treated. So, we are worried from the side of crime, but we are also worried from the side of health.”
The provincial government says law enforcement officials will be beefed up in some parts of the province. The province has recorded over 2 400 cases and at least 50 fatalities.
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KZN Premier Sihle Zikalala says they are going to specifically focus on the Ilembe District. “We are going to focus on Ilembe as a District especially here in KwaDukuza and in Mandeni because it is becoming as we have said the epicentre for COVID-19.”
Officials have called on those operating businesses to ensure strict adherence to the rules.
Bheki Cele says he’s worried that the sale of alcohol will lead to more criminal activities:
Tracking criminals in KZN
Cele on Friday assured residents at Qoloqolo in Mthwalume, on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, that police will spare no effort in tracking down criminals in the area. Cele also used the visit to interact with community members and owners of local shops, while encouraging community members to wear masks and maintain social distancing.
The minister’s visit came after five people were killed in the Qoloqolo area in the last two months. He says two people have been arrested in connection with these incidents.
The minister also said he believes the incidents are pure criminality, as some items were stolen from houses.
“The killing here of the five people … all of them were killed during the lockdown. It is nothing but pure criminality. We are very happy to announce that some of those people have been arrested. We want to put that one aside.”
