At the time of writing this letter, my understanding is that almost a quarter of a million people in South Africa have been charged with lockdown infringements and offences, no doubt resulting in many actual arrests.
Probably some offenders are from the greater Kempton Park area. If the “usual” South African practice regarding many different offences is continued – to offer offenders the choice between paying a fine or imprisonment – then these “stray thoughts” wander through my mind.
If proven offenders opt to pay a fine, that is their prerogative. However, as “lockdown” offences weren’t even dreamed of before mid-March 2020, and thus such fines’ money would have not been budgeted for as income by government or municipalities, one wonders where such money will go?
Will the metro benefit directly from the amount garnered in this municipality? Whatever the eventual total amount (and will Mr and Mrs Joe Public ever be told that?), will those monies go towards new hospitals or clinics, or even just equipping some of the existing ones?
Will it be assigned to research laboratories trying to create a vaccine against Covid-19, will it help those whose health has been directly affected by the virus (i.e. tested positive), resulting perhaps in those people having unexpected and possibly exorbitant medical bills to settle? Such questions are almost endless.
Remember, this is unexpected income for government and municipalities, courtesy of a pandemic-causing virus. Whatever income is attained via lockdown infringements, such was not in any budgets for 2020 and surely should be used only in association with the virus and its consequences.
Otherwise, my question is, where would such money end up? The powers-that-be surely need to be transparent about this matter.
With so many people having lost their income, whether from a salaried position or casual wages, I would think many lockdown offenders would find themselves unable to pay a fine.
The alternative to that, therefore, appears to be imprisonment. Would the existing number of prisons be able to cope with a sudden and unexpected influx of inmates?
Perhaps, for many, the prison option would be preferable, as they then surely are guaranteed a roof over their head and three meals a day for however long, instead of perhaps being homeless.
