The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has been instructed to render support to any government department that may require assistance during the public service strike. In response to the instruction, SANDF soldiers have been deployed in Gauteng, Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal while forces have been placed on standby in Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape, Western Cape, Free State, North West and the Northern Cape provinces.
On request of the Department of Health the South African Military Health Service has deployed medical teams to support medical functions at the following Provincial Hospitals:
Gauteng:
- Natalspruit Hospital
- Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
- Helen Joseph Hospital
In KwaZulu-Natal:
- King Edward Hospital
- Mahatma Ghandi Memorial Hospital
The SA Military Health Service is ready to deploy further medical teams where such assistance may be required. To ensure both the safety of SANDF personnel deployed to hospitals and the continued provision of essential services, the SANDF has deployed SA Army elements as a protection element to each of these hospitals.
The SANDF is fully committed to fulfil its mandate in support of the people of the RSA.
Source: Department of Defence
