AfriForum and Solidarity announced today that they will continue with their planned litigation with regard to the Tourism Equity Fund (TEF). This followed after a meeting between these organisations and the department did not yield any results.
AfriForum and Solidarity believe the department clearly never intended to really enter into a discussion and exchange ideas; on the contrary, the department actually only wanted to defend its own position.
“No concessions were made or proffered at all from their side. After we presented them with countless proposals and several explanations regarding the consequences and implications of their actions, they simply confirmed their initial position and questioned our motives,” explained Morné Malan, head of Communications at Solidarity.
The organisations say the department arranged and managed the meeting in bad faith. As a result, litigation is now inevitable, according to AfriForum and Solidarity.
It was painfully clear quite early in the talks that the department was not to be swayed by any facts or reasoning. The department was determined to continue on the road taken regardless of the consequences,” Malan said.
“It is clear that the Minister of Tourism does not have the interests of all the various communities at heart. Instead of her department reaching out to businesses that are in trouble, the department is now abusing the situation by using it as an opportunity to promote its race-driven goals,” Monique Taute, Head of Campaigns at AfriForum said.
“Like all other small tourism businesses, those businesses owned by members of minority communities need urgent assistance. Many businesses already had to close their doors after the government’s severe Covid-19 restrictions. It is immoral for the government to now use life buoys to help the people on the riverside, while thousands of others are drowning,” Taute concluded.