DA to submit PAIA application for info on Cuban work agreements
The Democratic Alliance (DA) want to access to the R1,4 billion work exchange and employment agreement between the South African and Cuban governments.
The party plans to submit Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) applications to various government departments.
At least five government departments, including Basic Education, Public Works, Health and Human Settlements are making use of the scheme.
DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone says government has not been able to justify the R1.4 billion spent on Cuban services.
“The DA therefore seeks access to the following information: A full breakdown of the payments to the Cuban workers, including salaries, accommodation and travelling fees, whether payments are made directly to the workers or if payments are made to the Cuban government directly and if the Cuban government receives financial incentives from these agreements.
“Confirmation if a skills audit is done in South Africa to find out what critical skills were needed that the local professionals did not have; and Whether an impact assessment is done after these deployments, to ascertain the necessity of the continuation of these agreements.”
Mazzone says the party does not believe the agreements are as straight forward as the government would like the public to believe.
“It simply makes no sense why the South African government would fork out billions of rands to pay for the skills and services from Cuba when there are unemployed and qualified workers across South Africa in all the identified fields desperate for employment.”
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