Chairperson, a generous and charitable spirit is a virtuous quality for any nation. It is only fair that South Africa should be known in the community of nations as a generous state that is willing to help where and when our help is sorely needed. Here at home, we have millions of people trapped in a cycle of poverty. Our own people are homeless; our own people are jobless; our own people struggle to feed themselves. This money we are so easily giving to Cuba is money we could put to work here in our own country. What is the motivation for bailing out the Castro regime, which remains hellbent on maintaining the communist status quo by limiting freedom of expression, association, assembly, movement and the press?
South Africa should always seek to lead other countries in democratic transition, respect for human rights, constitutionalism and freedom. We must leverage our influence and stand as an example to the world. Is this our policy with respect to Cuba? The ANC is betraying the people of South Africa with this grant to Cuba. [Interjections.] The ANC is still a captive of Cold War communist ideology. The Cold War is over! It was won by the forces for freedom and prosperity. Cuba's relentless adherence to a failed ideology is the root cause of its economic woes. The Castro regime should be consigned to the pages of history. It is a modern absurdity on the lunatic fringe of global politics.
South Africa should not declare any solidarity with the communist Cuban regime. The ANC proposes that this Parliament declares its solidarity with the Castro regime by giving it R250 million, over and above the R1,1 billion of bad Cuban debt that President Zuma wrote off last year. If the ANC wishes to repay an old debt to Cuba, let the money come from Luthuli House. [Interjections.] The ANC will easily find ... [Time expired.]