With South Africa on its eighth day of the national lockdown, concern has been raised over the levels of adherence to restrictions, including staying at home if one is a non- essential worker.
Citizens are voicing their frustrations regarding goods they can access, with some breaking the rules without considering the risks.
Earlier this week, just four days into the national lockdown, the message from President Cyril Ramaphosa was clear.
“Let us not make the mistake of thinking this is somebody else’s problem. Every time you violate the regulations the government has issued or try to get round the rules, you are putting yourself and others and risk and helping the virus to spread.”
A cursory glance across media platforms reflects the growing restlessness of citizens across the country. In breach of the restrictions, some have been lockdown-busting.
Their motivations are diverse.
“I have been supported by my boyfriend whose the one whose actually trying to get us cigarettes. Even now, I am out of cigarettes. I am twiddling my thumbs thinking about where to go because he is at work right now. When they find you on the streets the police, they ask you a question like back in those days when they ask you where are you going so you have to tell them you are going to the shops which is awkward because we are not used to this, says one frustrated citizen.
“We have been able to pass through backdoor measures, but obviously it is an expense. It’s not safe as well because people are profiting on these kind of situations and they will sell especially with your habits, substances,” adds another.
But just how often are South Africans now taking to the streets and breaching restrictions as the lockdown drags on?
Police Minister Bheki Cele has announced a total of 2 289 arrests between the 27 and March 30, with the Western Cape leading the charge at 774 and Limpopo trailing the rest of the country with 67.
In the video below, police officers are arresting lockdown rules busters:
“Most of the time in those suburbs and townships, we don’t have roadblocks. We have patrols; we have arrested people in both what you would know as traditionally white suburbs hence we have arrested quite several people in Montclair and Westville, in Alex, Soweto and in Khayelitsha where we patrol and find people doing the wrong thing, we arrest.”
National traffic watcher Rob Byrne says South Africans’ movements have not picked up over the last week.
“I think what we are monitoring on a daily basis since the lockdown began is a fairly constant level of traffic certainly around the big cities it’s a little bit complicated and one might get the impression that there is a little bit of lockdown busting going on, but that would depend on where the police road blocks and checkpoints are so anecdotally. I don’t think that there is any lockdown busting going on, but there are certainly given the situation and the circumstances that its very easy to form an opinion that it is.”
Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize has cautioned that although there has been a reduction in rise of infections recently, there should be no complacency.
“We need to engage all community leaders and call for volunteers in community and civil society formations to support the campaign against COVID-19; spread the message and teach our people to take the containment measures more seriously and support all the affected individuals and families the importance of hygiene must be made more emphatically the message must be that COVID-19 is serious but can be defeated and we need each person to make this a personal fight to save our nation.”
We are ready to fight, we are prepared. We must not be lulled into complacency.
— Dr Zweli Mkhize (@DrZweliMkhize) April 2, 2020
South Africans are urged to heed Mkhize’s words amid the national infection rate having jumped to 1 505 with seven fatalities. The experience of the United States and Italy – countries mired deep in catastrophe caused by the disease due to delays in social distancing is also cited as reasons for South Africans to take the call to stay at home seriously.
