South African solidarity with Cuba
By Norm Dixon
It is time for the liberation movements in South Africa to repay the debt they owe to Cuba by organising solidarity with that island. This is the message of the solidarity group, Friends of Cuba Society (FOCUS), launched in Cape Town in early March.
"There are special reasons why South Africa should come out in support of Cuba", FOCUS leader Father Michael Lapsley told the progressive South African weekly New Nation. "Cuba has given consistent moral and material support to the South African liberation struggle in all spheres. It was Cuban internationalism which turned the tide in Angola against a two-pronged attack by the South African Defence Force at the battle of Cuito Cuanavale in 1988."
Lapsley said FOCUS would work towards promoting awareness among South Africans of the 30-year-long US economic blockade of Cuba and, despite this, the remarkable achievements of the Cuba revolution in the spheres of health, education and employment. Cuba's difficulties had increased since the collapse of the governments in eastern Europe, he said.
While not a perfect society, Lapsley said, Cuba was "an example to the whole world in many social spheres, like housing, education and medicine". Despite its problems, Cuba had "shown its love of humanity by the contribution of thousands of doctors and teachers towards development in the Third World and other parts of the globe".
Lapsley added that he expected an ANC-led government to pledge moral and material support to the people if US aggression and intervention continued. "One of the tasks of a democratic government in South Africa will be to establish normal trade relations with Cuba, even if that might not go down well with the United States administration."