Defence on joint inter-departmental evacuation of South African citizens from Wuhan

3 March 2020

The Department of Defence, in particular the South African National Defence (SANDF), can confirm that it is part of a multidisciplinary team that is in support of the Department of Health and the Department of International Relations and Cooperation as instructed by the President and Commander in Chief of the SANDF, to repatriate South African citizens from the COVID-19 hit city of Wuhan in China.

As at the present, there is an approximate 151 RSA citizens that are expected to be repatriated to the Republic of South Africa.

Once all the logistics have been confirmed by the planners who are busy with the planning of the operation, the repatriation process will then commence.

The repatriation planning process is currently at an advanced stage and takes into consideration everything related to the logistics for the operation.

Issued by Siphiwe Dlamini, Head of Communication, 3 March 2020