by Thinus Ferreira
The Bachelor South Africa's bachelor Marc Buckner (36) has been arrested for allegedly violating South Africa's regulations during the national lockdown period - something that he disputes and for which he was fined R1 500.
Marc Buckner, the bachelor of the second season of The Bachelor SA on M-Net (DStv 101), produced by Rapid Blue, was arrested and thrown in the back of a police van on Wednesday morning while he was walking on the sidewalk on his way back home in Cape Town after he went to a shop because he allegedly flouted the country's Covid-19 lockdown rules.
On his Instagram account on social media Marc Buckner revealed that he was arrested on his way back home with the South African police who then searched his backpack and accused him of allegedly having bought "non-essential" items.
He was loaded into the back of a police van with the police who allegedly drove around with him for an hour and eventually taken to a Cape Town police station where was given a fine of R1 500 and told "this is your lucky day".
Marc Buckner, dressed in a blue cap and a grey T-shirt, asked followers to comment on his situation and what he should do and suggested that he's hadn't done anything wrong and doesn't feel included to pay the R1 500.
Marc deleted the videos, likely ordered by M-Net.
M-Net, in response to a media enquiry seeking comment on Friday evening, told me that that "MultiChoice and M-Net are aware of an Instagram post in which Marc Buckner described an incident that took place after he had left his home during lockdown on Wednesday. The post has since been removed".
"It is not MultiChoice's policy to reveal personal information about staff or talent. The safety of all South Africans is important to us during the lockdown period".
Police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo told me on Friday night that he can’t confirm whether Marc Bucker was arrested or not but said if a member of the public receives a lockdown period fine and want to challenge that they’re welcome to go to court.
"A written J534 fine you don’t have to pay it if you feel that you have been in any way prejudiced or you feel that you were not given the fine justifiably. Then you can go to court and challenge that."
The Bachelor SA continues uninterrupted with new episodes on Thursday nights on M-Net since the the bulk of the season completed filming before the national lockdown period began.
Questions are however swirling and pressure is building around the recording of The Bachelor SA Women Tell All and season finale which are recorded in front of a live studio audience and with all of the women back for a reunion appearance.
It took place at the now-shuttered Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg and is supposed to be recorded in May two weeks before the broadcast of the season finale.
With the national lockdown period that has now been extended to the end of April, insiders told me that M-Net and Rapid Blue are still mulling various back-up plans and alternatives and haven't yet made any decision as to how the Tell All episode and finale will be done.
