Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in awe of the Cradle

The Cuban Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Medina Gonzalez, took a break from his busy political schedule to visit the Maropeng Visitor’s Centre at the Cradle of Humankind (CoH) on Wednesday, 25 May.

After attending a hectic programme of the Joint Consultative Mechanism with his South African counterpart, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Luwellyn Landers, Gonzalez spent the morning out in the countryside at what he calls “a gem” of South Africa.

The site, which was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1999, has much to offer, and Gonzalez, led by the Director of the CoH World Heritage Site, Mags Pillay, and Managing Director of Maropeng, Michael Worsnip, saw it all.

At the official information and visitor’s centre, the Deputy Minister was introduced to Mrs Ples, Little Foot and the birthplace of humankind. It is believed that the ancestors of humankind inhabited the area over three million years ago.

“We are very excited and thankful, not only for a great outing this morning which was a break from a very busy official schedule but also for the hospitality the Cradle of Humankind team have shown. Our experience was beyond what was expected and I think it’s a fun and interactive way to tell the story of humankind’s origin. It’s a place out of the ordinary, which every person should visit,” Gonzalez said.

His visit to South Africa marked the 20th anniversary of an ongoing collaborative programme, formalised after 1994, between South Africa and Cuba. The programme focuses on partnerships in key priority areas of South Africa’s administration including departments such as health, labour, defence, social development, housing and infrastructure.

The Minister left for Cuba on Thursday, 26 May, after ending his official state visit to South Africa.

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