Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has slammed those who seek to undermine the national lockdown which is part of wide-ranging interventions to slow down the spread of the coronavirus.
He has been speaking in Pretoria at an inter-ministerial briefing on the back of day one of the national lockdown.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the country now stands at 1170 with one confirmed fatality.
Authorities have reduced the number of fatalities from two to one and say they will offer clarification soon.
In this video, Ministers representing the COVID -19 National Command Council update the nation on the status of the lockdown:
Mbalula says there have been some challenges with public transport, particularly long queues and a lack of transport to ferry essential workers
“The first challenge in terms of public transport is transporting workers with essential need like those working in the banks or supermarkets, in the hospitals.”
“The operations started well today. We had challenges of long queues where taxi industry did not come to the party to transport people and we want to emphasize once more that the regulations as stand in relation to 5-9 in the morning, but afternoon 4-8 that still stands.”
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said he has intervened to ease congestion of people leaving the country through the Beitbridge Border in Musina in Limpopo, amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Many motorists, including truck drivers, were earlier stuck on the long queue from Thursady night.
He says the department had to allow everyone to pass because Musina does not have capacity to handle the situation.
In this video, Aaron Motsoaledi addresses the situation at the border:
