AfriForum has revealed that the planned R50m government donation to Cuba is nothing but pocket change compared to the full planned donation it hoped to make.

The organisation claimed that the actual amount that would be donated to Cuba is R350m, with the R50m simply being the first of several instalments, says a report in The Citizen.

AfriForum said it has obtained this information from the court records as part of its review application.

In a statement, AfriForum said the SA Government has agreed to a contract with the Government of Cuba. It said this contract to donate R350m was not in accord with the laws, saying it was ‘completely irrational to make such an exorbitant donation in these difficult times’.

Full report in The Citizen

Meanwhile, the DA has written to the chairperson of the Appropriations Committee, Sfiso Buthelezi, to summon the Department of International Relations & Co-operation to appear before the committee to explain why it intends to donate the R350m to Cuba.

In a statement on the Politicsweb site, the DA’s Ashor Sarupen said the party intended to ask the department why it has chosen to donate such a large sum of money when SA ‘is struggling financially, when government debt is through the roof, and when public services are failing’.

The DA further intends to ask why the department would not rather elect to surrender these funds to disaster relief efforts in KZN.

Statement on the Politicsweb site