Coronavirus: police and military on the streets in South Africa

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South Africa, the country most affected by the coronavirus on the continent, entered total confinement for three weeks. The army and the police are trying to enforce the very strict measures announced by the government.

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With our correspondent in Johannesburg, Claire Bargelès

No one should be outside, except under rare circumstances, such as shopping or, in some cases, working. Just under 3,000 soldiers have been deployed to support the police, and the government plans to call on reservists. During checks this weekend, the police were able to use rubber bullets or water cannons to disperse crowds.

Patrols are particularly frequent in the township of Alexandra, north of Johannesburg, where it is difficult for the inhabitants to comply with these drastic measures.

Along these alleys, dwellings of fortunes follow one another. The curious come out on their doorstep to see the police in uniform pass, protected by masks. At a crossroads, a policeman handcuffs and takes a man. “ There were five of them in this vehicle and they drank alcohol. That is why we arrested him. We are many today, so we shared the streets, to cover the whole area. And you see, we are respected. We don't want to see anyone on the street. It is our duty to ensure that everyone is safe, ”said the police officer.

However, as soon as the patrol turned around the corner, everyone came out and life resumed. For Kelson, leaning on his portal, it is almost impossible to enforce such measures here: " Yes, we must apply social distancing ... but in Africa, we are not used to staying inside and you have to understand that the quality of life in the townships has nothing to do with the chic suburbs. It is totally overcrowded. But I think patrols are necessary because this virus is very dangerous. I really hope it doesn't spread too much . "

Leonard has been forced to close his little store and does not understand the constantly changing rules: “ We want more clarity from the government. The soldiers forced us to close. However, the government had said that our small stores could remain open to sell essential products. We understand that there is the coronavirus but we don't want to be oppressed ”.

The township of Alexandra is located only a few kilometers from the Sandton business district, identified by the authorities as the epicenter of the pandemic in the region.

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