Cele: Businesses face heavy fines, closure for breaching Covid-19 regulations
Police Minister Bheki Cele has sent a stern warning to businesses found to be ignoring Covid-19 regulations – saying they will face heavy fines and could even be forced to shut their doors.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a raft of new Covid-19 protocols in a national address on Monday evening.
The curfew will now start at 11pm and end at 4pm in a bid to curb the spread of coronavirus.
In addition, bars and restaurants will be required to close at 22:00 while retail liquor outlets will only be permitted to operate between 10:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Thursday.
“The laws yesterday were changed by the president. By 10pm, all places of businesses are closed and people are given space to go home between 10 and 11pm,” Cele said during a visit to Mpumalanga on Tuesday.
“Taxi drivers, if commuters are not wearing a face mask in the taxi, the driver must be arrested because the president said they are responsible.”
Businesses found to be flouting the regulations will be fined.
“There is a new one in the act to say if you break the law of your business for the first time, you will be fined R5000. If you repeat, suspended businesses for seven days. If you repeat, we suspend the business for three months,” said Cele.
“So, people that are breaking the laws, people of the malls that allow people to go there without masks, deal with management and tell them that malls and supermarkets face the danger of shutting down.”
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