More than 70,000 extra troops will be deployed in South Africa to help enforce a lockdown intended to stop the spread of coronavirus, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced.
South Africa has had 3,465 confirmed coronavirus cases – second only to Egypt in Africa – and 58 deaths.
The country has some of the most stringent coronavirus lockdown restrictions in the world.
But security forces have struggled to enforce them.
Since 27 March only essential service providers, such as health workers, financial services providers, journalists and retail workers, are allowed to continue going to work.
Businesses that provide essential services have been applying for a special permit from the government that allows their members of staff to go outside.
The restrictions include no jogging outside, no sales of alcohol or cigarettes, no dog-walking, no leaving home except for essential trips and prison or heavy fines for law-breaking.
South Africa could resemble a ‘military state'
By Nomsa Maseko, BBC News, Johannesburg
The initial army deployment came as no surprise – 2,280 troops were deployed at the beginning of the lockdown 27 days ago.
But this latest deployment has shocked many – it is the country's biggest military deployment for domestic purposes since the dawn of democracy in 1994.
Many believe the deployment, which…
