A March 27 ACN article reported that former Cuban president Fidel Castro has been awarded the Order of the Companions of O.R. Tambo, South Africa's highest distinction. South African President Kgalema Motlante handed over the order to the Cuban ambassador, Angel Fernandez.
The South African explained that the order was given to Fidel Castro in recognition of his friendship towards South Africa and for his key support for the struggle against apartheid, racism and colonialism. The order was established in 2002 by the African National Congress government to honour O.R. Tambo, an exiled ANC leader during the apartheid era. Other personalities who have been awarded the top South African order include Martin Luther King Jr, former Chilean president Salvador Allende and Mohandas Mahatma Gandhi — all posthumously.