Supreme Court of Appeal upholds Cuba donation interdict against desperate DIRCO with costs

24 October 2023

The Supreme Court of Appeal today dismissed the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)’s desperate attempt to appeal an interdict gained by AfriForum to stop their planned R50 million donation to Cuba. This is one of several panicked attempts made by the department since 2022 to appeal AfriForum’s interdict.

On 22 March 2022, AfriForum obtained an urgent interdict preventing the department from making a multi-million-rand donation to Cuba with South African tax money, pending a review application of the decision to stop the donation completely. DIRCO appealed to the High Court, Supreme Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court. All three applications were dismissed with costs awarded to AfriForum because there was no reasonable prospect of success. The review of the decision to make the donation was heard on 15 May 2023. AfriForum is currently awaiting the judgment and is optimistic about the chances of success.

Charné Mostert, Campaign Officer at AfriForum says that the organisation is glad that the court dismissed the department’s multiple desperate attempts to appeal AfriForum’s interdict. “It is troubling that the department appealed against the interdict at every court in South Africa. This clearly demonstrates DIRCO’s desperate determination to gift taxpayer money to their friends and their relentless pursuit of any means to achieve it,” says Mostert.

“Naledi Pandor lamenting the fact that AfriForum forced her to redirect this money set for Cuba towards actually helping poor people in her own country speaks volumes. Take care of your own poverty-struck country first before trying to donate money your government does not have to your friends. The court ruling upholds fiscal responsibility, directing resources to alleviate poverty in South Africa. AfriForum stands unwavering in addressing outrageous and wasteful expenditure by the government. If Minister Pandor is so desperate to help Cuba, she can do so out of her own pocket,” concludes Mostert.

Issued by Charné Mostert, Campaign Officer, AfriForum, 24 October 2023