Over 1.5 Million Zimbabweans Arrested for COVID-19 Violations

National police authorities have reported that over 1 million Zimbabweans have so far been arrested for violating Covid-19 regulations since the onset of the deadly pandemic two years ago.

Said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in a statement posted on their Twitter handle:

“The ZRP reports that on 13/03/22, 2 365 people were arrested for violating COVID-19 related offences (sic). Since 30/03/20, the cumulative number of arrests stand at 1 584 477”.

These statistics come at a time when the Zimbabwe Government has continued to bemoan flagrant complacence on the observance of the stipulated Covid-19 regulations, particularly the putting on of face masks to curb the spread of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, the ZRP also reported that:

“143 people were arrested on operation ‘Chikorokoza Ngachipere/ Isitsheketsha Kasiphele/ No to Machete Gangs’, bringing the total number of arrests, since 01/01/22, to 11 795. 536 people were arrested on operation ‘No to Cross Border Crimes’.”

“The cumulative number of arrests, since 01/01/21, stands at 123 712. Meanwhile, 438 arrests were made under the ongoing operation targeting unlicensed and unregistered motor vehicles, bringing the cumulative arrests to 41 130.”

Zwnews