Following the granting of an interdict on the donation of R50 million to Cuba, the Cabinet has defended this as a form of solidarity which is a ‘moral obligation’ on the country.
The interdict was granted last week after an application by AfriForum.
A statement issued by the Cabinet, as well as an article by International Relations and Cooperation minister Naledi Pandor, stressed the contribution that Cuba had made to Africa’s liberation and the selflessness that underpinned it.
‘Cabinet this week joins in commemorating the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in Angola that took place from 1987 to 1988. Cuba played the critical role in assisting African liberation movements to realise their objectives. There was no material gain for the Cubans who came to our support, but their overriding incentive was to fight for the liberation of Southern Africa from colonial and reactionary forces. Then President Fidel Castro was driven by revolutionary zeal and he told his comrades they were fighting “the most beautiful cause of mankind”. From Angola to Namibia and Algeria to Guinea Bissau, Cuba played a decisive role in contributing to the liberation of these African countries from colonial occupation,’ the statement read.
It also said that the US trade embargo and the Covid-19 pandemic were placing an ‘untenable’ burden on Cuba’s economy.
‘International solidarity in conditions like this are essential, and Cuba relies on its friends to provide relief, which is why South Africa had agreed on providing the island nation with R50 million in humanitarian assistance,’ wrote the minister in her opinion piece.
Those who objected to the donation failed to appreciate the history behind South Africa’s relationship with Cuba, she added.
[Image: https://pixabay.com/photos/international-banner-flag-cuba-2691000/]