Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu says the Cuban engineers brought into South Africa are not in the country for employment.
Instead, they are here to mentor and transfer skills to municipal workers and also help repair South Africa’s ailing water infrastructure.
But trade union Solidarity has warned that if the Minister does not suspend this programme they will be forced to go to court to seek an interdict.
In a statement released on Freedom Day, following a backlash since the arrival of the 24 Cuban engineers, Sisulu sought to remind South Africans about the role Cubans played in helping South Africa to be liberated from Apartheid.
She says the Cubans selflessly made it possible for South Africans to live in a free country.
Sisulu says when she made a call for engineers in South Africa to come forward and have a working partnership with her department, only five companies responded, and now they are crying foul.
The Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), which regulates the engineering profession in the country says Cuba is not a member of the International Engineering Alliance (IEA) – a global organisation that governs the recognition of engineering educational qualifications and professional competency.
Department of Water and Sanitation spokesperson Sputnik Ratau explains why Minister Sisulu decided to hire Cuban engineers to deal with SA’s water problems:
The engineers are not the first Cuban group to be roped in to assist in getting South Africa out of a quagmire.
In 2020, government brought more than 200 Cuban health professionals, mostly doctors to South Africa, at a cost of R400 million to help in the fight against the coronavirus.
