Those who fail to adhere to lockdown regulations under the Disaster Management Act could face hefty fines varying between R1 000 and R5 000.
South Africa went into a hard lockdown at the end of March in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Citizens’ movement has been limited including what can and cannot be sold during the lockdown.
Level 4 of the lockdown kicked in on May 1.
If you are caught outside your home during the lockdown curfew, between 8pm and 5am, or if you are caught selling tobacco or alcohol, you face the possibility of a criminal offence and a fine.
The judiciary published the list of charges citizens caught in the act could face.
You could face a fine of up to R5 000 if you commit the following offences:
- disclosing information contained in the COVID-19 tracing database, or information obtained during contact tracing;
- failure to “de-identify” or destroy information on the COVID-19 database six weeks after the state of disaster has ended;
- making of intentional misrepresentation that any person is infected with COVID-19;
- publishing of any statement to deceive any other person about COVID-19;
- intentionally exposing another person to COVID-19;
- the sale of liquor;
- the sale of tobacco;
- illegal gathering at public places; and
- hindering a member of the police or SANDF from performing their duties.
You could face a fine of R2 000 if you sell goods that are not allowed to be sold during the lockdown.
A person will be liable for R1 000 fine if they are outside their residence between 8pm and 5am and they are without a permit to perform essential work or permitted services or attending to a security or medical emergency or they fail to comply with the prohibition on movement between provinces. – IOL
