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By staff reporter 
9h ago
Johannesburg – Seventeen faithful were arrested in Pretoria West on Friday when police found them gathering and praying, in violation of Covid-19’s lockdown regulations.
The video of the arrest subsequently went viral on social media on Saturday.
Police spokesman Brigadier Vish Naidoo said the men were arrested by members of the Tactical Response Team (TRT), who had been on patrol in the area when they were alerted by the group that was violating the regulations.
“Members responded to the complaint and found that a group of people converged on a building on Retief Street, Pretoria West. The group was preparing to worship when they were discovered, ”said Naidoo.
He said the 17 suspects would face charges of violating the Disaster Management Act regulations regarding the Covid-19 blockade.
“The comments that can be heard at the end of the video about the Prophet Muhammad are quite unfortunate and unacceptable that someone can make such statements. In this note, SAPS management has ordered that this matter also be investigated and the person or persons who they made such comments on the Prophet are identified and brought to the book, “added Naidoo.
The suspects are still in police custody while SAPS awaits confirmation of their nationalities from the Interior Department.
“The suspects will be released on bail, fined or tried on Tuesday depending on the outcome of the preliminary investigations,” he concluded.
MESS
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