Share

WATCH | Breathtaking bird's eye view footage shows empty Sea Point and Cape Town CBD

accreditation
A virtually empty Cape Town as seen from the skies.
A virtually empty Cape Town as seen from the skies.
@gingerwithagopro | Cape Jewish Chronicle

Cape Town is the second most populous city in South Africa after Johannesburg. It is the country's most congested city, with drivers spending an average of 124 hours a year in traffic - this according to the 2019 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard.

But congestion has not been an issue since the start of the country's 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of the highly contagious and deadly coronavirus. 

Sea Point and the normally bustling Cape Town CBD were both hauntingly desolate on the first two days of the lockdown, as these visuals captured with a drone show.

But compliance with the strict lockdown measures has been varied. Hundreds of people in the Western Cape and Gauteng have been arrested for flouting the regulations.

Lieutenant General Elias Mawela told Bongani Bingwa on Talk Radio 702 that police in Gauteng had arrested 281 people since Sunday. In the Western Cape, 603 people had been arrested since the start of the lockdown, Western Cape traffic chief Kenny Africa said. 

"It seems there are still people who just don't care, who just do not adhere to these regulations," Africa said.

He warned the public that law enforcement would adopt a "no-nonsense" approach when enforcing the regulations, and appealed to them to stay at home.

The Military Ombudsman Office told News24 that it had received complaints regarding the conduct of South African National Defense Force (SANDF) members who had allegedly used a heavy-handed approach in enforcing the lockdown.

The lockdown kicked off on Thursday at midnight and is expected to run until 16 April.

On Sunday, the health ministry confirmed a total number of 1 280 cases of Covid-19 in South Africa, and two deaths, one in the Western Cape, the other in KwaZulu-Natal. 

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 504 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 717 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.90
+0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.86
+0.2%
Rand - Euro
20.37
+0.3%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.31
+0.2%
Rand - Yen
0.12
+0.2%
Platinum
908.05
0.0%
Palladium
1,014.94
0.0%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE