PLACES of worship are part of institutions that will under the
microscope of the law enforcement officers from next week.
Gauteng top cop General Elias Mawela hopes that they will comply with the regulations under the upcoming alert level three lockdown.
President Ramaphosa recently announced that churches, mosques, and other places of worship will be deemed essential under the new level.
Given the high population, Mawela said they don't have enough personnel to police everyone in the province but will go all out to ensure that rules are adhered to.
"Personnel will never be enough, we are policing 15 Million people who we know, excluding those who are here, and we don't know about them.
He said there are a lot of people coming to the Province, even from neighbouring SADC countries
He said they might not be able to police everyone but hopes that leaders of the religious institution will comply, or they will be forced to close their institutions.
"We don’t want people to go about with civil disobedience, here we are dealing with human lives, this pandemic doesn't care where you are a churchgoer or not."
Mawela who was at their weekly operation Okae Molao in Booysens said he is concerned about the increasing criminality in Gauteng.
"Criminals are coming back in numbers taking advantage that we are focusing on regulations.
"Just yesterday, there were incidents of hijacking, one in Midrand and another in Jeppe.
"Our police offices foiled the incidents and arrested six people and recovered the vehicle."
He added: "We are going to intensify, asijiki and we are not going to slow down so that the people of Gauteng can feel free."
