Dar es Salaam, 25 de noviembre del 2024.- Celebrating 8th Anniversary of the Passing of the Great Cuban Leader, Comandante Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz.
Speech by Walter Bgoya, Member, Tanzania Cuba Friendship Association.
Ndugu Joseph Butiku, Chairman, Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation
Your Excellency Mrs. Liberata Mulamula, Former Tanzania Ambassador and Foreign Minister,
Excellence Mr. Yordenes, Despaigne Vera, Cuban Ambassador to Tanzania
Distinguished Representatives of:
Chama Cha Mapinduzi,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
The family of Baba wa Taifa Mwalimu Julius K Nyerere,
Excellencies, Ambassadors
Comrades, Sisters and Brothers
I am honoured to be given this opportunity, on behalf of the Tanzania – Cuba Friendship Association, to say a few words in commemoration of 8th anniversary of the passing of Fidel Alejandro, Castro Ruz, the Great Leader of the Cuban Revolution, Chairman of the Cuban Communist Party, and President, Head of the State of Cuba from 1959 to 2016, As we all know, he was the Party’s founder, theorist, strategist, and military leader. The brilliance with which he executed these roles for as long as he lived, has distinguished him as one of the greatest internationally recognised, and admired leaders of the latter half of the twentieth century. This is the leader whose legacy we have gathered here to celebrate.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
In these days of fast pace living, social media and short memory span, when history in many countries is being relegated to the status of an “unimportant” subject, because it is not “profitable,” or simply cancelled from education curricula, eight years seems like a long time in the past. It would scarcely surprise one, if these days, high school students and even university graduates were to ask, “who is” or “who was” Fidel Castro. But, in some countries his name is recognised, not for who was, but for who they love to hate; because he represented, the long struggle and inevitable victory of the oppressed people against tyranny, against exploitation and against humiliation.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
This eighth anniversary of Fidel Castro’s passing coincides with a situation in which the world is witnessing in Palestine the most horrendous brutality, in many ways unimaginable, that Israel, backed by the Unites States and its NATO allies are committing against the Palestinian people in Gaza, and also in Lebanon and Iran and increasingly also in the West Bank. President Castro already identified the actions of Israel as “genocide.” He was a great supporter of the Palestinian people and no doubt he would have been in the forefront of the condemnation of the ongoing genocide and would have been mobilising all peoples of the world to support the Palestinian cause.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
Hundreds of authors and millions of words have been written and spoken about Fidel Castro, the man and the leader. In the few minutes that I have, I want to highlight a few of his many qualities which make him not only a Cuban revolutionary leader and great humanist but a leader of to whom all oppressed people looked to and still look to for inspiration and for lessons.
The first and most relevant to us was his solidarity, love and empathy for the African continent and its people. His support for the African liberation struggle was great, constant and consistent. Nowhere, was this evident as in the Cuban decision to support militarily the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola, when in 1975, there was a concerted effort by the United States, apartheid South Africa, UNITA and mercenaries, to thwart Angola’s independence and sovereignty, and to stop the advance of SWAPO fighters for Namibian independence. The highlight of this internationalist support was at the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale where Cuban, Angolan, and SWAPO forces delivered a decisive blow to apartheid South Africa’s and Western imperialist political-military ambitions. It was a watershed moment in the long journey of Africa’s struggle to free the whole continent from colonial and settler occupation.
Fidel personally oversaw Cuba’s strategy, emphasizing the importance of this battle not just for Angola but for the liberation of southern Africa. As President Mandela said, “The Cuban people hold a special place in the hearts of the people of Africa. The defeat of the racist army at Cuito Cuanavale made it possible for me to be here today.”Fidel Castro’s support was not limited to Southern Africa. It was continuation of support going back to Algeria in 1962 in its war of liberation against the French, and in Guinea Bissau, and other countries that were fighting against Portuguese colonialism.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The whole world knows about the successes of the Cuban revolution in education, and most especially in health education which has produces thousands of Cuban doctors. Cuba has sent doctors not only to many countries in Africa, but also in Latin America, in Asia, Middle East and even in Europe, in order to help alleviate shortages in medical personnel and to bring health to the otherwise sick and dying, especially during emergencies.
This peaceful army of “White coats” has been of great help to countries in Southern Africa, and we in Tanzania have been among the biggest beneficiaries. Doctors from many countries have been trained in Cuba and learned the Cuban way of practising medicine that is not based on ability to pay but on the responsibility to treat and to heal. We cannot thank Cuba enough, and all this comes from Fidel Castro’s teaching, his sense of common humanity and empathy. For Castro, health just like education were fundamental rights, and everyone was entitled to access them freely.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I want to make two short references to President Castro, the man. Like our own President Julius Kambarage Nyerere, he was not one to promote a cult of personality. He was loathe to adulation and sycophancy. As his official biographer noted, “there is no official portrait, nor is there a statue, or coin or avenue or building dedicated to Castro or any leader of the revolution”. He was not content on philosophising and giving directives; he was hands on leader, who listened, learned and taught by action; a truly charismatic leader who believed in doing and not just talking.
In that regard, it is worth noting that despite all the successes of the Cuban revolution, and there were many, Fidel Castro was honest to state that there were still shortcomings that had to be overcome. One of them, despite the great strides made in combating racial discrimination, were still remnants racial discrimination of black Cubans, as there were still prejudices in other social relations among the people. He acknowledged these and stated that only through education would they in time be overcome.
Finally, as a book publisher, I cannot finish my short intervention without referring to Castro’s love of books and his wish to see all Cubans able to read and able to buy books at very little cost and usually given freely. The world saw for the first time the steepest drop in illiteracy in Cuba. I have had the opportunity to visit the Cuban international Book Fair and I am also proud to say that we have translated and published in Swahili, “The Grasshopper’s Song” “Wimbo wa Nyenje” a Children’s book by Cuban author, Jorge Ornelia Cardoso. President Castro was especially fond of, and influenced by the works of legendary Cuban revolutionary, Jose Marti, from whom Castro inherited many of his greatest virtues.
President Castro was an avid reader, so much so that one wonders how he would be able to do so while attending to all the international and national affairs that awaited him. It is mind boggling. But then we learn that he slept for only 4 hours a day; but even with that, it is still is phenomenal, and he definitely had a photographic memory and incredibly retentive brain.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I wish to end my short statement by saying that we in the Tanzania Cuba Tanzania Friendship Association are proud to continue to honour the friendship of our two Great Leaders, who were also comrades and shared so much – humility, courage, solidarity, commitment to freedom and justice – and to the solidarity of all those suffering under oppression and foreign domination. We invite all Tanzanians to join us and to ensure that this solidarity shall live for ever.
Viva Commandante Fidel Alejandro Casro Ruz!
Viva Tanzania – Cuban Friendship Association!
(EmbaCuba Tanzania)