Workers at a Johannesburg construction site have been arrested after they were found at work despite the national lockdown.

The Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) arrested 55 construction workers at a construction site in Douglasdale, confirmed JMPD spokesperson Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar.

The owner of the construction company was not at the site.

The construction workers were handed over to the police at the Douglasdale Police Station.

Over the last week, more than 17000 have been arrested countrywide for various crimes and contravening lockdown regulations.

Of those, 2 005 were released on a warning by the police and ordered to appear in court, 124 were granted police bail and 7 450 fines and 16 court summonses were issued