South Africa Hosts Continental Forum in Solidarity with Cuba

Havana, Jan 15 (ACN) Over 250 representatives of 27 nations attended the opening session Monday of the 7th African Continental Encounter in Solidarity with Cuba, underway till January 17th in the northern South African city of Mbombela, capital of the Mpumalanga province.

Members of solidarity organizations from Africa and other parts of the world, along representatives of political parties from South Africa, the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Egypt, China, the USA, Iran, Mozambique, among others are participating in the forum, according to the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

During the event, several working commissions will focus on the history of the Cuban Revolution and its contribution to the international struggle for a fairer and more equitable world order.

African National Congress vice-president in Mpumalanga Speedy Mashilo welcome participants and praised the role played by Cuba in national liberation struggles in Southern Africa, which led to the independence of Angola, Namibia and the defeat of Apartheid.

The president of the Cuban Friendship Institute Fernando Gonzalez, who is heading the island’s delegation to the forum, addressed the historic position of Cuba in support of Africa.

Gonzalez appreciated the rejection at the forum of the US economic, commercial and financial blockade of Cuba and its inclusion on the arbitrary US list of states sponsors of terrorism.

On behalf of the Friendship-with-Cuba Association in South Africa, Father Michael Lapsley stressed the commitment of all South Africans to the Cuban Revolution and their rejection of the US siege of the island nation.

Lapsley, friend of Cuba, is Anglican priest and anti-apartheid activist who in 1990 lost both hands and an eye in a letter-bomb attack sponsored by the racist South African secret service.