East London, 3 July 2026. —In an emotional ceremony, 19 South African students graduated in this city after completing their studies at Cuban medical universities under the auspices of the Fidel-Mandela Scholarship Program, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary and has so far trained 3,243 South Africans as doctors.
The keynote address was delivered by one of the recent graduates, who expressed his deep gratitude to the Cuban people and the Cuban State for the educational opportunity he had received. He noted that the Mandela–Fidel Scholarship Program has opened up opportunities for young people from disadvantaged sectors of South African society, offering them the chance to study medicine and subsequently contribute to their communities by providing high-quality healthcare.
For her part, the Eastern Cape Provincial Minister of Health, Thandokazi Capa, expressed her gratitude to the Cuban government for its generosity and the high standard of training provided to South African doctors. She emphasized that the bilateral relationship between the two countries is forged in their shared struggle and guided by diplomacy and solidarity.
Speaking on behalf of Cuba was Dra Fidela Reyes Obediente, National Director of Education at the Cuban Ministry of Public Health (MINSAP), who highlighted the spirit of solidarity and humanism of the Cuban Revolution. Dra Reyes Obediente emphasized that cooperation in medical education is an expression of Cuba’s internationalist vocation and a sustained commitment to training professionals in the service of public health.
(Cuban Embassy in South Africa)