Faizel Patel –11/01/2021
At least three people have been arrested after violence erupted at a church gathering in the Vaal.
Congregants who had gathered for a Sunday service clashed with police on Sunday.
Police fired stun grenades and rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse about 250 people who attended the service.
It’s believed a group of churches in the community refused to close their doors as required under level three lockdown regulations with some claiming that government failing to consult them about the decision to limit the number of people who attend religious gatherings.
Police arrived to shut the gathering down but the confrontation quickly escalated into a brawl between officers and worshippers.
The police’s Mathapelo Peters says among those arrested include two church leaders aged 47 and 69 and a 62-year-old woman.
“The members responded to reports of an illegal gathering at a church in Sebokeng Zone 7. On arrival, they ordered the group of about fifty congregants to disperse. The group is reported to have defied police orders to disperse and the situation allegedly turned violent.”
Peters has urged the public to adhere to the Lockdown Regulations which have been put in place for everyone’s safety against the fast spreading COVID-19, and not to go out of their way to break the law.
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