Pretoria, March 23, 2022.- Today, the emblematic Freedom Park museum hosted the commemoration ceremony for the 34th anniversary of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale.
The event, organized by the South African authorities, was chaired by the South African Minister of Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, and also included the participation of members of the Diplomatic Corps, senior representatives of the African National Congress, the South African Communist Party, the National Unions of Health and Education, Democratic Teachers and Miners; the Association of Solidarity with Cuba and South African Graduates in Cuba; as well as members of the Cuban cooperation brigades in this brother country.
The South African Minister and the diplomatic representatives issued emotional messages in recognition of Cuba's role in the victory in Cuito Cuanavale and the significance of this military conflict as a defining moment in the history of Southern Africa, for its decisive contribution to the independence of Angola and Namibia and the overthrow of the racist Apartheid regime in South Africa.
In his speech, the Ambassador of Cuba, Enrique Orta González, highlighted the deep and historical ties between Cuba and Africa, a true example of friendship, cooperation and genuine solidarity.
As a culmination of the event, in a solemn ceremony, floral offerings were placed before the "Wall of Names", a historic site where the names of 2,289 Cuban internationalist heroes who offered their lives in the battles for the liberation of Africa are engraved, and of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, for his leadership in those battles.