Good thing that Cuba donation is frozen

When your economy is in dire straits – as ours is – then taking taxpayer money which could be used for poverty alleviation and giving it to people halfway across the globe in Cuba is not logical.

Yet, in the ANC’s twilight zone of “Comrades in the struggle against Western Capitalism” – the latest of which is support for Moscow, come what may – it is perfectly acceptable to express “fraternal solidarity” with their comrades in Cuba.

ALSO READ: SA’s R50m Cuba gift should never have been a priority, says economist

The ANC is welcome to acknowledge and reward any of its revolutionary friends as it likes… as long as this is not done with public money.

That is why it is good that Judge Brenda Neukircher of the High Court in Johannesburg has interdicted the payment of the money, pending the finalisation of an application to review and set aside the decision to make the donation.

The case was brought by civil society activist group AfriForum, which has legally questioned the government in a number of other areas.

While we do not support AfriForum in everything it does – and no doubt there is some political point-scoring in its legal actions – the fact that civil society can challenge the government on the way our taxes are spent can only be a good development.