Actress Rami Chuene has lambasted Minister of Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu for hiring Cuban Engineers, insisting that she made a public call to black engineers but only white ones responded!
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“That awkward moment when Min. Lindiwe Sisulu accuses Radio2000ZA of pushing propaganda against Cuban engineers, insisting that she made a public call to black engineers but only white engineers responded. They ask where was the ‘call’ made, she says on 702. Okay,” wrote Rami Chuene.
According to News24, Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has said that Cuban engineers will not be taking local jobs. She said local companies did not respond when she made the call for participants.
Lindiwe Sisulu has lashed out at those who have questioned a skills transfer programme involving Cuban engineers.
According to the publication, on Thursday Lindiwe Sisulu announced that 24 Cuban engineers would help with water infrastructure “from source to tap” and that around R65 million had been budgeted for this financial year.
According to News24, most were seconded to water and river “clusters” to provide training and help local engineers and artisans with infrastructure problems. They will receive stipends and payments for goods and services.
However, the programme has come under fire from local organizations such as Solidarity and the Engineering Council of South Africa.
According to the publication, Solidarity has threatened to apply for an interdict to stop the government from hiring Cuban engineers for water systems maintenance and repairs, saying that local engineers and skills specialists can do the job instead.
In a statement, Lindiwe Sisulu said that they wish to underline that the Cuban partnership with South Africa has been in place since the dawn of freedom.
“We wish to underline that the Cuban partnership with South Africa has been in place since the dawn of freedom which they helped us to achieve. This was emboldened by the diplomatic ties formulated in 1994 between then Presidents Nelson Mandela of South Africa, and Fidel Castro of Cuba,” said Lindiwe Sisulu.
“Ma’am, this may be true, but many decades later in 2021 our fellow South African compatriots also need jobs. Our own Graduates and skilled people can do these jobs,” responded Simon Grindrod.
STATEMENT BELOW:
🚨 Media Statement 🚨
We wish to underline that the Cuban partnership with South Africa has been in place since the dawn of freedom which they helped us to achieve. This was emboldened by the diplomatic ties formulated in 1994 between then Presidents Nelson Mandela of pic.twitter.com/WpFOGEikHs
— Lindiwe Sisulu (@LindiweSisuluSA) April 27, 2021
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