Pretoria, February 28, 2023.- A delegation from the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (Icap) concluded a working visit to South Africa focused on solidarity. During their stay in South Africa, Víctor Gaute, vice president of Icap, and Yahimi Rodríguez, director for Africa, held work and social meetings with representatives of several of the country's main political actors, as well as leaders of youth organizations, accompanied by the Cuban ambassador to South Africa, Enrique Orta González.
In these meetings, the Cuban official received explicit and emphatic expressions of solidarity with the Cuban people, a sign of the historical ties that unite the two countries, as well as strong support for a planned Africa-Cuba international solidarity conference, to be held here.
During what could be described as the summit meeting of the visit, with the African National Congress (ANC), the South African Communist Party (SACP), and the country's main trade union group (Cosatu), the Icap representatives received Cuba's support of these groups, which make up the South African government alliance.
In this regard, Fikile Mbalula, general secretary of the ANC, recalled that South Africans "are linked to Cuba by blood," since we have been together in the trenches.
In summarizing the position of the Alliance, Nomvula Mokonyane, deputy secretary general of the ANC, listed it in four points: Reaffirmation of the commitment of solidarity with Cuba, support for the continuity of the collaboration with the Cuban people, hosting the planned Africa-solidarity conference. Cuba, and rejection of the US blockade.
In addition, Gaute and Rodríguez held fraternal meetings with leaders of the Youth League of the African National Congress (ANCYL) and the Youth League of the South African Communist Party (Yclsa), who expressed similar positions regarding Cuba.
In all these meetings, Gaute offered an update on the Cuban reality, marked by the recovery from the effects of Covid-19, the tightening of the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States, and the effects caused by natural phenomena (hurricanes ).
Particular damage, he emphasized, is caused by Washington's inclusion of Cuba on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism, which, he explained, hinders normal Cuban banking transactions with the rest of the world.
Overcoming those challenges, he said, can only be achieved by working together as a people.
During a visit to the Freedom Park memorial complex, in Pretoria, where Icap officials paid tribute to the more than 2,200 Cuban internationalist fighters who died for the freedom of South Africa, Jane Mufamadi, its director, stated that there is no other country like Cuba that contributed more to the freedom of South Africa, without asking for anything in return.
With their actions, the Cubans have shown us the highest form of internationalism and solidarity, that is why you, she emphasized, are our brothers and remain in our hearts.
(Prensa Latina)