WATCH | Presidential sendoff for mission to bring back citizens from China

On March 10 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa met the team heading to Wuhan in Hubei, China, to repatriate 122 South Africans.

At this stage, some South Africans have opted to remain in the city.

Ramaphosa said he had deployed 151 members of the defence force to support the department of health in bringing the South Africans home.

Members of the group will be quarantined for 21 days when they arrive back in SA under the supervision of the defence force.

Section 201 of the constitution requires that the president should inform parliament - promptly and in appropriate detail - of the reasons for the employment of the defence force, any place where the force is being employed, the number of people involved and the period for which the force is expected to be employed.

The flight left Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday, March 10 2020, at 9pm, and will return on Friday, March 13 2020.