"To date, a large number of the reserves in each of the four services has been called up and deployed on borderline protection and together with the regular force in support of the SAPS and the department of health during Op Notlela to combat Covid-19," the SANDF said yesterday.
"In addition, certain reserve force units and selected individuals have been put on 25 hours standby. The remaining members who are currently serving in the reserve force but who have not yet been called up have been asked to contact their units in order to confirm their availability. They will be called up as soon as they are required.
"Those members of the reserves who have not yet been called up and who have specialist skills are requested to contact the reserves offices in their provinces to volunteer their service."
The type of skills being sought include health-care practitioners, especially nurses and doctors, chefs, mechanics, engineers, pilots or people with aviation experience and seamstresses.
Army calls its specialist reserves to help in Covid-19 fight
The defence force has put out a call for members of its reserve force with specialist skills who have not yet been called up to raise their hands for duty.
The call comes on the back of the "biggest deployment since 1994" of the military - more than 73,000 members - to help government deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The deployment was expected to cost the country approximately R4.59bn. The deployments include members of the army, air force, navy and military health service.
"To date, a large number of the reserves in each of the four services has been called up and deployed on borderline protection and together with the regular force in support of the SAPS and the department of health during Op Notlela to combat Covid-19," the SANDF said yesterday.
"In addition, certain reserve force units and selected individuals have been put on 25 hours standby. The remaining members who are currently serving in the reserve force but who have not yet been called up have been asked to contact their units in order to confirm their availability. They will be called up as soon as they are required.
"Those members of the reserves who have not yet been called up and who have specialist skills are requested to contact the reserves offices in their provinces to volunteer their service."
The type of skills being sought include health-care practitioners, especially nurses and doctors, chefs, mechanics, engineers, pilots or people with aviation experience and seamstresses.