South Africa police arrest 55 people on first day of lockdown

Fifty-people were arrested on the first day of South Africa's coronavirus-induced lockdown, Police Minister Bheki Cele says, warning that those who violate the measure will face "the full might of the law."

Some of those arrested were having "street bashes," while others were caught sitting in groups and drinking alcohol, according to the South African Police Service.

"This war we find ourselves in is not a war against any citizen of this country, but is a war against a common enemy, the coronavirus," Cele says. "Whoever breaks the law and chooses to join the enemy against the citizens will face the full might of the law."

South Africa introduced a three-week lockdown on Thursday night, in a bid to slow down the spread of the coronavirus. Only essential services are operational, such as supermarkets and medical services. The country's borders are also closed.