The South African National Defence Union (SANDU) demanded an independent investigation on Monday after it was reported that 38 South African officers sent to Cuba for training were allegedly pressured to hand over part of their allowances to needy Cuban citizens.
The contributions, presented as "voluntary," could exceed 15,000 rands—approximately 938 dollars—per person among the highest-ranking officials, according to the South African channel eNCA.
The complaint arose from an investigation by News24, which indicated that Brigadier General Mitch Ledwaba, from the military personnel division, proposed the initiative shortly after the group's arrival in Havana.
To justify the contributions, Ledwaba would have appealed to Cuba's historic support for the African National Congress (ANC) during the struggle against apartheid.
The amounts varied according to rank. Senior officials were required to deliver more than 15,000 rands, while lower-ranking military personnel were reportedly asked for amounts exceeding 3,000 rands.
Ledwaba is said to have circulated a list on which the officers were required to write their names and the amounts contributed. Those who provided money were promised a refund in December 2026, although reports indicate that there was no official documentation to support this reimbursement.
Several military personnel refused to participate and questioned both the legality of the procedure and the absence of the South African military attaché in Cuba, Thembisile David Mpisane, during the meeting in which the funds were requested.
The national secretary of SANDU, Pikkie Greeff, firmly rejected the initiative.
"That is completely unacceptable. The soldiers' salaries are not a discretionary fund," he stated.
Greeff warned that presenting contributions as "voluntary" does not eliminate doubts about possible pressures due to the very hierarchical structure of the Armed Forces.
"No soldier should feel obligated to give up part of their pay to avoid being labeled as disloyal, uncooperative, or difficult," he stated.
In a statement published on Facebook, SANDU requested the immediate establishment of an Investigation Tribunal in accordance with South African legislation to determine who authorized the fundraising, who received the money, what its destination was, and what legal basis covered the initiative.
The union also called for an investigation into whether there was financial misconduct, abuse of authority, fraud, or corruption, and demanded that any evidence of wrongdoing be referred to the appropriate authorities.
He also rejected the notion that the supposed good intentions could justify the procedure. "The Defense Forces are not a social assistance organization, and the salaries of their members are not intended to finance welfare projects," Greeff noted.
The complaint again places under scrutiny the controversial military cooperation between Cuba and South Africa. In August 2025, the Democratic Alliance reported that the Department of Defense spent R34 million on a charter flight to transport over 200 military personnel to Cuba for a graduation ceremony. Months earlier, the South African Air Force had canceled an air training agreement with Cuba that had been in effect since 2014.
The National Defense Forces did not respond to media inquiries about the matter at the time the information was published. Greeff was clear about what should happen next: "If this agreement was legal, let the evidence prove it. If it wasn't, those responsible must be held accountable."
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