Cape Town - The government will spend R25 million in an operation by the defence force to repatriate 151 South Africans from China to SA following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The figures are contained in a letter by President Cyril Ramaphosa to the Speaker, Thandi Modise, and National Council of Provinces chairperson Amos Masondo on Thursday.
The letter was published in Parliamentary papers ahead of the debate on the coronavirus in the House.
Ramaphosa said 151 members of the South African National Defence Force will be deployed for the operation.
They will be helping the Department of International Relations and Cooperation and the Department of Health.
“One hundred and fifty one (151) members of the SANDF are employed in support of Dirco and department of health in facilitating the repatriation of South African citizens from the People’s Republic of China, Hubei province, back to South Africa,” wrote Ramaphosa.
“This employment was authorised in accordance with the provisions of section 18(1)(c) of the Defence Act of 2002. This employment is from 1 March until 15 April 2020. The total expenditure expected to be incurred for this employment is R25m,” said the president.
Political parties are set to debate the coronavirus later on Thursday.
The virus has killed thousands of people across the globe with thousands more affected.