More than 300 people have been arrested for various crimes in the Free State on Saturday. This as Police Minister Bheki Cele visited the area to assess the police’s festive season operations and lockdown compliance.
Police Minister, Bheki Cele & his deputy Cassel Mathale have arrived in Bloemfontein to monitor police festive season operations and compliance to lockdown protocols. They are expected to visit taxi ranks and malls to engage with communities. #sabcnews #SABCFS pic.twitter.com/gIUrn4UWDZ
— Masiteng Makgala (@masitengmakgala) December 19, 2020
Cele says non-compliance should be dealt with harshly.
Cele visited Bloemfontein to assess the effectiveness of the festive season “Operation Tight Grip”. Drugs worth over R1 million were discovered at a flat in Navalsig, where three people were arrested for being in possession of drugs. They are two foreign national men and a 27-year old woman.
Minster Cele called on police to have no mercy on criminals.
“Know that you are here your job is one, is to bring and create hope around South Africans. Your job is to make sure as people come to this city of Mangaung they are safe as they walk as they take their money. I want to remind you that your job is not prescribed, your job description is not prescribed by your minister, President but the prescription of your job is in the Constitution.”
Cele also confronted those who walk about without their masks on. Some of the commuters at the local Majakathata long-distance taxi rank expressed their views on the spread of the coronavirus.
“I don’t feel safe, people are not complying. They started complying when they see the police. I’m on my way to Bethlehem,” says a commuter.
“There’s no social distancing here,” says another commuter.
“I’m happy but some people comply, some are not putting their masks,” adds a commuter.
Cele says there’s progress in the eastern Free State – where his team is addressed issues that were raised by farmers following the Senekal incident.
Police Minister on the walkabout in Bloemfontein:
