Maskless Premier: Cops in Trouble for Failing to Issue Warning

Thursday, January 28, 2021 at 2:18 PM by Samantha Riddle

- It's not just Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane that's in hot water over her maskless fiasco

- The SA Police Service officers that were on duty at the funeral will also be taken to task

- The authorities say that the officers at hand should have issued the Premier with a warning

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Police Minister Bheki Cele's spokesperson Lirandzu Themba has revealed that all officers on duty at Jackson Mthembu's funeral are in hot water.

Maskless Premier: Cops in Trouble for Failing to Issue Warning — The officials who attended the funeral are now facing a probe. Image: GCIS/ Twitter
Source: UGC

Cele announced that an internal investigation has been launched looking into all officers who had attended the late Minister's funeral:

“What was supposed to actually happen there was that Police should have verbally asked the Premier to wear a mask which failure to do so should have resulted in an arrest."

Themba pointed out that all officers on duty on the event had failed to enforce the law with the spokesperson continuing:

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“As a result, the National Commissioner (Khehla Sithole) has instructed the Provincial Commissioner in Mpumalanga to investigate."

The lockdown regulations dictate that any citizen who fails to comply with a verbal instruction issued by a police officer to wear a mask is guilty of a criminal offence.

The offence sees those found guilty liable to a fine or a period of imprisonment not exceeding six months or both.

Earlier, Briefly.co.za reported that Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane has apologised for her maskless appearance at Jackson Mtembu's funeral.

However, the Mpumalanga branch of the Economic Freedom Fighters has opened a case against the ANC politician.

The Red Berets want the Premier to be charged with failure to wear a mask in public over the incident.

Provincial EFF leader Collen Sedibe has made it clear that the Premier's apology has been rejected:

“We have opened a case against the Premier for contravening the COVID-19 regulations and mandatory protocol because she was seen in public without wearing a mask during the funeral of Mr Jackson Mthembu in eMalahleni."