A dedicated Cuba gala dinner hosted by prime minister Elijah Ngurare on Wednesday evening has raised over N$2.6 million in support of Cuba’s hardship imposed by the United States.
Among the largest pledges is Namibre N$1 million, Namport N$200 000, NamPower N$160 000, Cuba former students, including finance minister Ericah Shafudah, former inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga, suspended police inspector general Joseph Shikongo N$100 000 (paid) and the Ndaitwah family N$50 000, Office of the Prime Minister N$50 000 and Sidney Martin family N$150 000, among others.
Ngurare also announced an anonymous donation of N$17 million which he says is already on its way to Cuba.
Speaking during the gala dinner, president Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah called on Namibians to contribute generously to a fundraising campaign in solidarity with Cuba, saying Namibia has a moral responsibility to support the country who stood by it during the liberation struggle.
Nandi-Ndaitwah says the bond between Namibia and Cuba was forged through “blood, courage and sacrifice” and could not be reduced to diplomatic relations.
She recalled the role of Cuban soldiers in the liberation struggle, saying their sacrifice helped change the course of southern Africa’s history and contributed to Namibia’s independence.
“Cuba stood with us when freedom appeared distant. Today, as Cuba confronts its own difficult hour, Namibia must stand with Cuba,” she says.
The president says Cuba had continued supporting Namibia after independence through healthcare, education, agriculture, engineering and sport.
Nandi-Ndaitwah says Cuba now faces severe economic challenges, which she attributed to decades of US-imposed economic, commercial and financial restrictions.
She reiterates Namibia’s call for the lifting of the sanctions against Cuba and its removal from unilateral lists limiting access to international financial mechanisms.
“What we are doing is not paying back Cuba. We will never be able to pay back Cuba. What we are doing is a moral responsibility,” she says.
Cuban ambassador to Namibia Sergio Vigoa de la Uz thanked Namibians for their solidarity with Cuba, saying the two countries share a history of struggle for independence and sovereignty.
Vigoa de la Uz says Cuba is facing a difficult economic and social situation, which he attributed to what he described as a decades-long US economic, commercial and financial blockade.
He says recent sanctions had affected international trade and restricted oil supplies to Cuba, with consequences for vulnerable groups, particularly children and the elderly.
Vigoa de la Uz says Cuba’s infant mortality rate had doubled, while the survival rate of children and young people with cancer had fallen from 85% to 65%.
He also says Cuba’s surgical waiting list had reached 100 000 patients, including 12 000 children.
Namibians in Solidarity with the People of Cuba campaign chairperson Helmut Angula says the campaign has raised about N$1.7 million towards humanitarian assistance for Cuba.
Angula says the campaign, launched on 22 April, aims to purchase solar energy kits and medical supplies for health centres in Cuba.
He says medical supplies worth 27 000 euros have already been procured, while N$3 million is needed to purchase a 20-foot container of solar kits.
“We have a deficit of N$1.3 million,” Angula says.
He called on individuals, businesses, churches and organisations to contribute towards the campaign, saying Cuba had supported Namibia during its liberation struggle.
