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Hundred of Cubans employed
in South Africa
Sheena Adams. Independent
Online, SA, October 20 2004.
More than 450 Cubans are on the payrolls
of South African government departments
including housing, health, and water affairs
and forestry.
Most of them (at least 339) work as doctors.
Others are architects, engineers and technicians.
The statistics are found in a report released
on Tuesday by the Public Service Commission
on the appointment of professional Cubans
in the public service.
The query arose in a question asked in
parliament by Freedom Front Plus Member
of Parliament Pieter Groenewald.
The report makes clear, however, that the
numbers could be higher.
It says 53 other "foreigners"
are employed as engineers.
Groenewald said on Tuesday if doctors were
included in the field of "engineering
and related professions" then more
than 34 percent of engineering posts in
the public sector were filled by foreigners.
"The report confirms what the Freedom
Front Plus said originally - that the government
of the day is ensuring that some people
in South Africa remain unemployed.
"We request that the government put
a stop to this practice and start employing
South Africans whose qualifications are
accepted by the South African Qualifications
Authority," he said.
In his parliamentary question, Groenewald
asked whether the qualifications of the
Cuban employees were up to par with South
African qualifications.
The report suggests that in the case of
architects and civil engineers working in
the Department of Housing, the standards
of qualification are unknown.
"Consultations with professional bodies
in South Africa to assess the qualifications
of Cuban professionals is underway,"
it says, adding that Cuban engineers are
not currently involved in certifying projects.
It says Cuban technicians in the health
department are "highly qualified".
"Clinical engineering is one of the
very scarce skills in the country as a whole
because of further training being required
over and above the normal electrical engineering
done in most technikons," it says.
According to the report, the 62 Cuban architects
and engineers employed by the department
of housing were remunerated contractually
for three years.
In the case of the engineers and technicians
at the department of water affairs and forestry,
the government of Cuba pays their salaries
and the department pays a monthly stipend
of R3 300. Cuban doctors in the public service
receive "direct remuneration from the
department".
The only detailed information available
in terms of salaries shows that 26 Cuban
engineers take home an annual gross income
of R4,68-million.
Groenewald also took issue with the department
of housing which the report said only advertised
posts in Cuba.
This article was originally
published on page 6 of Cape Argus on October
20, 2004.
© 2004
Independent Online. All rights strictly
reserved.
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