- Project Kgala wastes R1.7 billion on ineffective, politically motivated deals with Cuba, with no tangible benefits to South Africa.
- Cuba’s involvement is a political payoff, as the ANC is using taxpayer money to repay past political debts to Cuba.
- The DA calls for the immediate termination of Project Kgala, demanding the Department of Defence halt any further dealings with Cuba.
Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites by Chris Hattingh MP.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) strongly rejects the continuation of Project Kgala, a rebranded version of the failed and wasteful Project Thusano, channeling billion of rands to Cuba. It must be terminated.
Despite the Department of Defence (DoD)’s attempt to reframe the project under a new name, the reality remains the same – an expensive, politically motivated operation that is a complete waste of South African resources.
Project Kgala is nothing more than the same animal in a different skin. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) is continuing to engage in a costly and inefficient deal with Cuba that has already racked up R1.7 billion in irregular expenditure, without any tangible benefits to South Africa or its military personnel.
An Auditor General investigation reveals that between 2015 and 2022, the cost of maintaining and repairing military vehicles through Cuban suppliers was 2.8 times more expensive than if local South African mechanics had been used.
The assertion that Cuba’s involvement in skills transfer and military training is somehow essential is a fallacy. South Africa could provide the same services at a fraction of the cost.
South Africa’s own defence industry, including companies like Denel, Paramount Group, Truvelo Specialised Manufacturing, and Reutech Radar Systems, has the capacity to provide the training, maintenance, and technical services required by the SANDF.
The constant channelling of South African tax-payer money to Cuba is a transparent repayment of past political debt. It is a case of fleecing South African tax-payers to transfer billions to Cuba because the ANC owes Cuba personally.
As proof of this: There was no cost-benefit analysis conducted before embarking on these deals, and no needs assessment justifying the reliance on Cuban suppliers over South African alternatives. This proves that there is no financial or rational reason for Cuba’s grand pay-day, other than a political one.
Kgala repeats the failures of Project Thusano, where vocational training was delivered at 136% more for South African medical students to study in Cuba compared to the cost of education in South Africa. The pass rate for students was a meagre 28%, highlighting the inefficacy and abject waste of the program.
The DA calls on the Department of Defence and the SANDF to immediately terminate Project Kgala and halt any further dealings with Cuba under this guise.