Cape Town – Department of international relations and cooperation (Dirco) Minister Naledi Pandor has reportedly said that South Africa plans to provide humanitarian aid of food and medical supplies to Cuba, not R50 million in cash.
According to IOL, the Cuban government called on South Africa and other partner countries in their hour of need in July 2021. The country was experiencing chronic shortages of food, fuel, medicine, and electricity during its worst economic crisis in 30 years, caused by the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic and sanctions imposed by the US.
Earlier this year South African deputy minister of international relations and cooperation Alvin Botes told the Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation that the department was committed to allocating R50 million for special intervention purposes as it relates to the Cuban people, The Citizen reported.
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“I thought it is important that the parliamentary committee gets briefed about the fact that we have committed to allocate an amount of R50 million for special intervention purposes as it relates to the Cuban people, who have experienced food security challenges, because of the sanctions levelled against the people of Cuba by the United States of America,” the report quoted Botes as saying at the time.
South African citizens and political parties fumed at the department’s plan.
On Thursday, Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Darren Bergman claimed that the country was using the African Renaissance and International Co-operation Fund (ARF), as an open wallet, according to Times Live.
But Pandor maintained that: “We do not use the ARF fund as an open wallet, this is not at all true. There is no R50 million that will be given or donated to Cuba. We plan to provide humanitarian aid to Cuba of food and medical supplies which will be purchased from SA companies and shipped to Cuba to support that nation in its suffering,” the report said.
The report also said that Pandor’s department has been interdicted by AfriForum from going ahead with its plan after the lobby group argued that a mandatory parliamentary overview process was not conducted.
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Picture: Twitter/ @DIRCO_ZA
Compiled by Sinothando Siyolo
