Tourism Minister studying legal letter about the funding of applications
The office of Tourism Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, has confirmed its received a letter by AfriForum and Solidarity threatening legal against the Tourism Equity Fund (EFT).
The civil rights group, AfriForum, and trade union, Solidarity, accuses government of racism in the criteria to be used when awarding funds to applicants hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A letter has been issued to the department by both parties demanding confirmation by no later than Tuesday that the operationalisation of the TEF be suspended.
The parties claim “it is exclusive on the basis of race, and discriminates without any legal or justifiable basis”.
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Tourism spokesperson Hlengiwe Nhlabathi-Mokota says Minister Kubayi-Ngubane is currently considering the letter and will respond in due course.
“We wish to emphasize yet again that B-BBEE was never designed to exclude established businesses or South Africans but to level the playing field in the economy. As a government, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing the transformation agenda through creating equitable opportunities, as we strive to create an inclusive and revived tourism economy as part of our country’s economic reconstruction and recovery plan,” says Nhlabathi-Mokota.
