South Africa
South African police service arrest people for defying a nationwide lockdown in Johannesburg Friday.
The security personnel have been deployed to enforce the lockdown in a bid to curtail spread of COVID-19.
Nearly 57 million people are to be confined to their homes for three weeks.
President Cyril Ramaphosa personally visited soldiers at a military base in Soweto Township prior to their deployment.
“I am sending you to go and defend our people against coronavirus,” Ramaphosa said.
“This is unprecedented, not only in our democracy but also in the history of our country, a 21-day lockdown to go out and wage war against an invisible enemy coronavirus,” he said.
During South Africa’s lockdown, there will be no jogging, walking dogs or selling alcohol across the country, which so far has the highest number of infections reported in sub-Saharan Africa with 927 cases.
Ramaphosa believes that it will even be possible to reach 1,500 cases “in a few days”.
AFP
01:02
Pics of the day: May 2, 2024
01:55
South Africa marks Freedom Day ahead of tough general election
02:20
South Africa to mark 30 years of freedom amid inequality and tense election ahead
Go to video
Repatriated South African apartheid-era artworks on display to celebrate 30 years of democracy
Go to video
Botswana rejects controversial UK proposal on asylum-seekers
01:10
Springboks confirm their Test fixture list for the rest of the year