Stop Cuba donation!
The ANC wants to give YOUR tax money to Cuba. STOP the Cuba donations and add your name here:
The government’s planned donation of R50 million to Cuba has caused massive outrage and indignation when it was announced at the beginning of this year. AfriForum shared this sentiment and, following the announcement, immediately sent a letter to the Department of International Relations and Cooperation in which it demanded a written explanation for the donation, as well as the source of the funds for the donation. Dirco’s explanation was that it stemmed from a humanitarian request from Cuba and that the funds were available.
Since AfriForum rejects this explanation, we initiated a legal process. Our legal action consists of two parts, namely an initial urgent interdict to prevent the payment of the funds and a review application to reverse the decision to donate the funds. The first part of the application was successful with the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria granting the interdict with costs. The court found there could be irreparable damage for the citizens of the country should the donation go ahead, as well as that AfriForum was acting in the interest of the wider community. The government was however so desperate to help Cuba that it submitted an urgent leave to appeal to the High Court as well as the Constitutional Court. The first application for leave to appeal was dismissed with costs by the High Court on 10 May. The court however found that there were no grounds to appeal the interim order, since the merits of the donation would only be determined when the review application was heard.
More good news is that Dirco’s second application for leave to appeal was dismissed by the Constitutional Court on 22 August. Everything now points to the continuation of the second part of AfriForum’s legal process, namely the review application which is aimed at reversing the decision to make the donation. AfriForum is very optimistic that this application will succeed in finally putting an end to this irrational and insulting donation in the midst of a serious economic crisis. According to the World Hunger Index famine and food insecurity is a far larger and more pressing problem in South Africa than in Cuba. Therefore, one needs to ask why Cuba does not rather donate the funds to South Africa.
The ANC government can independently raise money to give to Cuba to maintain its archaic Cold War ties, but worn-out taxpayers will definitely not foot this bill.
We do however need your help to push our court case over the finish line. Support our court case by adding your name at www.cubadonation.co.za.
Timeline:
The South African and Cuban governments: engineers, expenses, doctors and donations since 2020
