NGOs question decision to donate R50m to Cuba amid worsening poverty and hunger in SA
The NGO coalition said government should direct the funds towards an independent investigation into the causes of, and solutions to, hunger in SA
A coalition of non-governmental organisations fighting against the growing hunger problem in SA has added its weight to calls for the government to halt a R50m donation to Cuba, saying the move is a gross misallocation of funds.
The coalition — which includes Chefs with Compassion, FoodForward SA, NOSH Food Rescue, and the Angel Network — said government should instead direct the funds towards an immediate, independent investigation into the root causes of, and solutions to, hunger in SA.
Deputy minister of international relations and co-operation Alvin Botes raised eyebrows last week when he announced the donation to Cuba, suggesting that it was necessary as US sanctions continue to pose a food security threat to the island nation. The nation traditionally has close relations with the ANC due to its support for the struggle against apartheid.
But critics highlighted the irony, pointing to SA’s own fiscal challenges and increasing poverty and hunger levels.
The coalition of NGOs pointed to the most recent Global Hunger Index which tracks hunger at global, regional, and national levels. It showed that Cuba has consistently scored “low” (less than 5) since 2005. A score of less than 5 on the index indicates that less than 10% of the population suffers from hunger, calculated by national rates of undernourishment, child wasting and stunting and child mortality. SA had a score of 12.9, which indicates a level of hunger that is “moderate”.
According to another index by World Data Lab, which develops databases and instruments for monitoring progress of societies, 52.31% of SA’s 59-million people is food insecure. Meanwhile, 19.98% of Cuba’s 11.3-million people face food insecurity.
“The coalition believes that, against this backdrop, the donation of R50m to a foreign country on the basis of international relations is a gross misallocation of funds, at best,” the NGOs said in a joint statement this week .
“These organisations have united to call upon government not just to halt the donation to Cuba, but more importantly to meet them to discuss ways in which to collaboratively address the dire and growing problem, and to take collaborative action to end hunger in our own country. The coalition is of the firm and educated opinion that an end to hunger is possible — but only through the collaboration of government and non-government organisations uniting efforts, expertise and resources.”
Last week the DA said the ANC appears to be going out of its way to find new means to splurge money on Cuba.
“Over the past decade, the ANC government has spent R1.4bn just on agreements with the Cuban government to employ Cuban workers and service providers in SA. Money that could’ve been spent on creating job opportunities and alleviating food security issues back home,” DA MP Willem Faber said.
“SA simply cannot afford to donate R50m to Cuba. We do not have the money. And if we did, it should be spent on addressing the severe socioeconomic problems in this country. SA is drowning in debt, mismanagement and corruption, and the ANC government would rather throw our life raft to their Cuban crushes than kick free of the undertow,” Faber said.