THE ANC Women’s League has leapt to Water and Sanitation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu’s defence, describing the attacks on her decision to deploy Cuban engineers in South Africa as ‘outrageous’.
The women’s league said the Cuban engineers were not in South Africa to take jobs but to share experience and impart technical skills to SA water engineers.
“As the ANCWL, we are grateful for the contribution that the Cuban cohort is going to play, especially in dealing with the persistent water issue, affecting mostly women,” said the league in a statement.
The league added that minister Sisulu is absolutely correct to have engaged the Cuban engineers.
“It fits in with the continuing relations of revolutionary solidarity, support and cooperation between our two countries. It is evident that White Monopoly Capital (WMC), and their supporters/agents are not happy with this, and have launched a propaganda campaign to undermine and discredit the cooperation between our two countries,” ANCWL said.
“For Minister Sisulu to be attacked for drawing on Cuban expertise and continuing solidarity is outrageous, and she must be defended by all of us who continue to be true revolutionaries.”
Sisulu has defended her decision to rope in Cuban engineers, saying they included mechanical, electrical and civil engineers, and that they were selected because of their technical skills.
The engineers will focus on strengthening operations and maintenance within the water infrastructure sector, providing support to provinces and municipalities where delivery of water services is critical.
“With the experience that I have garnered of working with the Cuban government from other departments, I believe the engineers will display the same dedication and commitment towards the task at hand,” the minister said.
- Inside Politics
