Cele: Mtsweni-Tsipane has criminal record for not wearing mask

Mtsweni-Tsipane is in hot water after she was seen on national TV not wearing her mask at the funeral of Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu on Sunday.

 

She later paid the R1500 fine at a local police station and signed an admission of guilt statement.

 

Speaking on SABC’s Morning Live, Cele said officials who were at the funeral should have acted against Mtsweni-Tsipane.

 

“Unfortunately the investigation has not yet been finalized but the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Khombinkosi Jula is working on it.

 

“But the police were there when the crime was committed and they did not act so they are procedures within the SAPS that will have to be followed. I have received the first report and I am waiting for the second report on what will be internal ways of dealing with a clear ignoring the law that was supposed to be enforced by the officers,” says Cele.

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He again clarified the process when someone is caught without a mask.

 

“When arrested for failing to wear a mask, you are taken to a police station and given an option to accept an admission of guilt J534 fine- this will result in a criminal record.

 

“Or you can appear before in court if you lose your case you get the same fate. At the moment there are 13600 people that have been arrested since the wearing of the mask was mandatory, most of those people are warned when they are found and most of them are given the option for admission of guilt.

 

“We believe the law has been used equally to all South Africans and we believe the premier has been treated as everyone would have been treated. 

 

“Our aim is not to arrest South Africans but to remind them to put on masks,” he said.