Home News Defence department calls up Reserve Force members to help fight Covid-19

Defence department calls up Reserve Force members to help fight Covid-19

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The SANDF is grateful to the Reserve Force members for their willingness to serve

THE SOUTH African Defence Force (SANDF) is calling up Reserve Force members to assist in the fight against Covid-19, in line with the National Management Act, the defence department said on Saturday.

The act provides that the SANDF must release its personnel to a national organ of state for rendering of emergency services and provides for the SANDF to assist with the movement of persons and goods to and from or within the disaster stricken or threatened areas.

“The SANDF will be deployed in various capacities in the implementation of the national lockdown in order to execute a broad plan of urban and rural operations. Similarly, the SA Military Health Service has called up Reserve Force doctors, nurses, operational emergency care practitioners together with teams to work with other health practitioners in various fields,” the department said.

“The SANDF is grateful to the Reserve Force members for their willingness to serve and appeals to civilian employers to release their staff members called up for Reserve Force Service.”

On Monday, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a nationwide 21-day lockdown from midnight on Thursday until midnight on April 16. In an address broadcast live on television, Ramaphosa said all people in South Africa would be compelled to stay at home, save for essential services such as health workers in the public and private sectors, emergency personnel and those in security services such as the police, traffic officers, military medical personnel and soldiers.

On Saturday, Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced that the country had 1187 confirmed Covid-19 cases.

“We must outrightly state that these numbers do not indicate a reduction in the number of infections. It is merely a reflection of positive results that were received, verified and ready for today’s reporting,” Mkhize said in a statement.

– African News Agency (ANA)

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