Mkhize: Cubans are not here to take your jobs
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize has moved to allay fears that Cuban medics would take the place of unemployed South African doctors.
This amid concerns in some quarters over the arrival of 217 Cuban doctors who were brought in to assist the fight against Covid-19.
On Monday the group of Cuban medical professionals landed at O.R Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The delegation consists of experts in various fields including epidemiology, biostatistics and public health.
“We have felt that we need to augment and reinforce our professional cadreship,” said Mkhize.
“This is the basis that we had gone out to seek assistance from Cuba, from China, and we have actually been talking to a few other countries.
“It is important to say that the Cuban doctors are coming in at our request to reinforce particularly because they have got strength in the case of community medicine and that is where South Africa is very weak.”
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Their arrival has been met with mixed reaction, with some accusing government of sidelining young South African professionals in a country already plagued by a high youth unemployment rate.
But Mkhize said government had prioritised the employment of locals doctors before the Cuban doctors were deployed.
“They will be working alongside with South Africans.
“We want to assure everybody that they will not take anyone’s post,” he added.
A total of 26 Cuban doctors willl be sent to the Western Cape while Gauteng will be allocated 29, with the rest spread through the other seven provinces.