Pretoria - Water and Sanitation Minister Nomvula Mokonyane has paid tribute to the late Cuban President Fidel Castro.
She said the former President of Cuba had a big heart as he continued to show and offer his support to African countries by selflessly sharing the expertise of his country.
She was speaking on Sunday at Southern Sun Hotel in Pretoria. Water and Sanitation Deputy Minister Pamela Tshwete, dignitaries from the Cuban Embassy as well as 35 engineers from Cuba attended the commemoration.
“Today our hospitals enjoy warm medical care by Cuban doctors spread all over our nine provinces and the water sector is also a beneficiary of President Fidel Castro’s big golden heart, as we currently enjoy services of 35 Cuban water specialists, who are also in all our provinces sharing their knowledge and skills with our water workforce,” Minister Mokonyane said.
She said all the engineers from Cuba took courage from their leader, who fully supported the imparting of knowledge.
“We will forever be indebted to the late revolutionary for the role he played in the emancipation of our country and the support that he offered afterwards,” Minister Mokonyane said.
The relationship between South Africa and Cuba dates back to 1996 and it was further strengthened in 2013 when a Water Resources Management and Water Supply agreement was signed.
After the signing of this agreement, the Department of Water and Sanitation welcomed a contingent of 35 Engineers from Cuba in February 2015, who are currently deployed at head office, regional offices and clusters for a period of two years. – SAnews.gov.za
