Delivering his keynote address at the seventh Africa-Cuba Solidarity Conference, the ANC deputy president, Paul Mashatile, said the ANC and Africa will not end their partnership and solidarity with Cuba.

He said the solidarity with this country in the Caribbean has been in good standing since its inception.

“The African continent has benefited vastly from this solidarity, and it goes beyond the support between the country and the African continent. We have many qualified professionals through international programmes, such as medical doctors and engineers, who received their qualifications in Cuba and came back to plough back into their African communities. Through this, the ANC is positive that more can be achieved through the solidarity.

“We also call upon the US to cease the embargo against Cuba. This is an economic war which affects not only Cuba, but the African continent. We support peace. We will be conducting campaigns to portray our support for Cuba,” Mashatile said.

ALSO READ: Mpumalanga MEC for education says schools are not allowed to withhold stationery

The conference commenced at the ANEW Resort White River on January 15, just after the ANC celebrated its 112th anniversary in Mbombela.

The president of the Institute Cubano de Armistad, Fernando González Llort, was in attendance, along with representatives of organisations supporting the solidarity.

Mashatile said the conference sought to strengthen international solidarity and co-operation with Cuba for a new and just world order, while deepening cultural exchange, education and healthcare collaborations, to strengthen economic and socio-economic justice and human rights and navigate through the focus of the diaspora engagement for global solidarity.

ALSO READ: Fikile Mbalula leads a peaceful candlelight march in Barberton

“Looking at how far we have come in Africa, our revolutionary slogan remains relevant: ‘Aluta Continent’. This year’s conference was themed ‘Africa’s Commitment to the Cuban Revolution’. Our journey with Cuba indeed serves as a backdrop for the development we have seen in our countries in the past decades, for Africa’s freedom and independence. We owe the Cuban people a great debt of gratitude,” said Mashatile.

The conference continued until January 17.