Coronovirus: SA president announces three-week lockdown

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.

This means that all South Africans are required to "stay at home except for essential purposes", a tweet from the president's office says.

President #Ramaphosa: Those countries that have acted swiftly and dramatically have been far more effective in controlling the spread of the disease.
#COVID19 #CoronaVirusSA

— Presidency | South Africa 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) March 23, 2020

There are 402 cases of coronavirus in the country - the highest number in sub-Saharan Africa. No deaths have been recorded so far.