The answers provided by the Minister of Defence, Thandi Modise, to parliamentary questions from the FF Plus about her Department’s contracts with Cuba still do not clarify how the South African Defence Force gained any value or benefit from the contracts.
The Department’s Thusano Project was shrouded in controversy since its inception in 2012 due to the billions of rand paid to Cuba reportedly for doing so-called maintenance on army vehicles.
All while South Africa possesses more than enough local expertise to perform such maintenance work at a fraction of the cost.
It is highly unlikely that the Defence Force’s vehicles and equipment have improved to such an extent that it justifies these expenses.
The Minister merely replied that the contract will only lapse in January 2025, and that the Department will review main and sub-contracts in the interim.
She added that the Department is busy finding ways to bring the contract in line with regulatory prescripts.
That in itself seems to point to irregularities, which have been occurring since 2012 and were never rectified.
The ANC government’s constant squandering of billions of rand in tax money on Cuban welfare projects while the South African Defence Force is collapsing is a disgrace and an insult to all South Africans.
The FF Plus will keep fighting against the ANC government’s blatant squandering of South Africans’ heard-earned tax money.
South Africa deserves better than the ANC.
Read the original article in Afrikaans by Fanie du Toit on FF Plus
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