NATIONAL NEWS - The army is expected to be deployed to eight provinces, excluding Limpopo, with speculation that a state of emergency is on the cards.
While the country awaits President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address on Monday evening on the next move for the country, sources from the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) have confirmed that the army has been ordered to prepare for a possible deployment.
Concerns have been raised that a national “state of emergency” is on the cards following a high-level meeting on Saturday between Treasury, the SA Reserve Bank and the SA Revenue Service on measures to shore up the economy, to protect small businesses and ordinary South Africans amidst predictions that there could be a huge spike in Covid-19 infections.
City Press saw a Treasury memorandum titled Economic Response Packages in which Treasury warns the state to do whatever it can to prevent the spread of the virus.
According to the Sunday Times, the SANDF could be deployed to patrol the streets as restrictions are tightened to help stop the virus from spreading.
Sources told the City Press that all leave has been cancelled, and SANDF members have been told to return to their units to start preparing for short-term deployment, after the defence force was placed on standby.
The Sunday Times, however, said that senior military officials told the publication that the SANDF does not have sufficient personnel or equipment if a lockdown is implemented.
This was disputed by SANDF spokesperson Siphiwe Dlamini, who told the publication that the SANDF was waiting for the multidisciplinary team leading government’s response to say if there is a need for the defence force to enter.
Some members of the SANDF have been spotted on Jan Smuts Avenue in Johannesburg.
EWN reports that, in a classified memo that has been circulated, the army has been instructed to prepare to provide support to various government departments, with a final order to come from the commander-in-chief, Ramaphosa.
The army is expected to be deployed to eight provinces, excluding Limpopo.
Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu announced on Sunday that due to the magnitude and complexity of the issues Ramaphosa was dealing with, he would only communicate the outcomes and decisions of government on further measures being taken to combat the spread of Covid-19 on Monday.
On Monday, he confirmed Ramaphosa would update the country in the evening.
Ramaphosa spent most of the weekend in engagements business and political leaders around the national state of disaster.
Speaking at the Union Buildings at noon on Sunday, he thanked political parties and business for their collective involvement in giving their input on the national response against the virus.
