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South African Police Minister Bheki Cele has accused many of European tourists of defying the ban on going to beaches along the famous Garden Route.
The ban was introduced last month to curb the spread of the coronavirus after beaches were identified as a hotspot for infections.
Speaking to reporters after a tour of the area, Mr Cele said overall compliance with Covid-19 regulations was much better than expected, but some surfers had been arrested on Langebaan beach for defying the ban.
“What really irritates these people is that they are foreign nationals – most of them are from Europe and their beaches are closed and there is a lockdown there and they come here to do disorder, ”he added.
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– SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) January 6, 2021
Mr Cele said soldiers would be deployed to help enforce the ban as police numbers in the region were down – around 350 officers had been infected with the virus and around 800 were in isolation.
The Garden Route is one of the most scenic parts of South Africa and is popular with tourists. It runs along the coast of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces.
The police patrol the beaches on foot, by quad and by boat.
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