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Solidarity, AfriForum to proceed with litigation over Tourism Equity Fund

Details

SolidarityEngineering News reports that trade union Solidarity and civil rights group AfriForum have announced that they will be proceeding with litigation against the Tourism Equity Fund (TEF) after having unfruitful talks with the Ministry.

Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane suspended the TEF’s activities on 5 February until discussions could be held with the two bodies. The R1.2-billion TEF was launched by the department on 2 January, in partnership with the Small Enterprise Finance Agency, as a new financial support mechanism to stimulate investment and transformation in the tourism sector. But, the two organisations have questioned the legality, morality and transformative outcome of the qualification criteria for the fund, pointing out that it would supply relief financing only to tourism businesses with at least 51% black ownership during the Covid-19 lockdown. Solidarity and AfriForum indicated in a joint statement on Wednesday that during a meeting between the parties this week, the department made no concessions despite the organisations having presented proposals and explanations regarding the consequences and implications of implementing the TEF. AfriForum’s Monique Taute said that instead of the department reaching out to businesses that were in distress because of the pandemic, it was abusing the situation by using it as an opportunity to promote race-driven goals. In a statement, the Minister said that the TEF was not a relief fund, but a transformation fund and that the department would defend any action brought against it by AfriForum and Solidarity.

  • Read the full original of the report in the above regard at Engineering News
  • Read Solidarity’s press statement on this matter at Polity


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