It's business as usual in most townships despite national lockdown
It's Day 1 of the national lockdown in South Africa as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Only essential workers are allowed to go to work and residents have been encouraged to stay home.
However, it has been business as usual in most townships in the country.
Eyewitness News reporter Nkosikhona Duma has more from eThekwini.
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The eThekwini metro taxi council says it will be profitable to carry on with their operations. The taxi operators say they cannot carry on under the regulations.
Nkosikhona Duma, Reporter -Eyewitness News
They also say they were not properly informed about this, they heard via the grapevine. The commuters say they have been stranded for the past two hours.
Nkosikhona Duma, Reporter -Eyewitness News
Moving to the Western Cape, EWN reporter Kaylynn Palm says she went to Woodstock in the morning.
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The soldiers and the police were there and the area was quiet. A few people were going to work and the clinics.
Kaylynn Palm, Reporter - Eyewitness News
We then moved to Langa where it was a completely different story. People were in the streets and the parks. The officers told people to go home. The barbershops were also open and police had to tell them to close.
Kaylynn Palm, Reporter - Eyewitness News
Moving back to Gauteng, EWN report Kgomotso Modise says it was business as usual in Soweto in the morning.
We could see taxi drivers operating as usual trying to cash in and get as many passengers into their taxis before the 9am shutdown. We saw the JMPD intervening and ensuring only seven passengers were in the taxis.
Kgomotso Modise, Reporter Eyewitness News
At the Pick n Pay in Baragwanath, MEC [Faith] Mazibuko raided the shop and there were over 200 people in the store at a time.
Kgomotso Modise, Reporter Eyewitness News
In Alexandra it was business as usual, reports EWN's Edwin.
Some people were spotted in their street pavements enjoying their beers, shops opened and taxis operating as usual.
Edwin Ntshidi, Reporter - Eyewitness News
Police have now moved in and encouraged everyone to go home and the taxis have also stopped operating.
Edwin Ntshidi, Reporter - Eyewitness News
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