South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced in a live televised address that there will be a nationwide lockdown from midnight on Thursday in order to control the outbreak of coronavirus.
It will last for 21 days.
President #Ramaphosa: Those countries that have acted swiftly and dramatically have been far more effective in controlling the spread of the disease.
— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) March 23, 2020
#COVID19 #CoronaVirusSA
This means that all South Africans are required to "stay at home except for essential purposes", a tweet from the president's office says.