Mashaba: Employing Cuban doctors is a waste of taxpayers' money
Action SA leader Herman Mashaba believes government should have rather employed more South African healthcare workers than spending millions of rands by giving jobs to Cuban doctors.
Mashaba made the remarks during a webinar by his party on Wednesday evening.
Party leaders and experts discussed unemployment in the healthcare sector.
They claimed that government spent well over R400 million to employ 217 Cuban doctors.
"But it is unclear what these Cuban doctors have done since arriving in our country.
"This for me is a waste of resources and taxpayers' money while trained South African medical professionals are sitting at home without jobs," said Mashaba.
Mashaba was joined by South African Medical Association's (SAMA) chairperson Angelique Coetzee, who echoed the same sentiment.
Coetzee said the presence of the Cuban doctors in the country must be 'political.'
"Maybe they [government] owe something to Cuba or Cuba owes us something, we don't know who owes who.
"But it is not because of lack of skills; we do have those skills," she said.
Mashaba said since his party launched #HireMedicalHeroes over 300 healthcare professionals have made submissions.
The party is expected to issue demands and recommendations to Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.
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