Havana - South African Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday 21 October arrived in Havana, Cuba from Sweden, for his official visit to the country from 22-26 October 2015. Deputy President Ramaphosa is leading a high-level Ministerial and business delegation to Cuba with view to consolidating bilateral political, economic and trade ties between the two countries and strengthen co-operation at a multilateral level.
 
The South African delegation will utilise the opportunity of the visit to strengthen strong ties and bonds of friendship between our two peoples developed in the context of the struggle for freedom in South Africa. In this regard, many Cuban internationalists paid the supreme price in the cause of the struggle for the decolonisation of Southern Africa and the end of apartheid in South Africa.
 
These bonds of friendship culminated in the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in May 1994 following the dawn of peace, freedom and democracy in South Africa in 1994. South Africa and Cuba established the Joint Consultative Mechanism in 2001 at the level of Deputy Ministers, to regulate structured relations between the two countries.
 
The two countries have since 1994 signed a number of agreements in various sectors and co-operated in a number of fields. South Africa is a beneficiary of Cuba’s ongoing assistance in the areas of health, labour, defence, social development, housing and infrastructure.
 
During the state visit to Cuba in December 2010, President Jacob Zuma announced that South Africa would offer the Cuba Economic Assistance Package to the tune of R350 million to assist with agricultural development process as well as the reconstruction of infrastructure devastated by natural disasters.
 
Through the SA-Cuba Health Agreement more than 420 South African students from disadvantaged backgrounds have qualified in the field of medicine with over 3000 more students currently undergoing training.  South Africa currently host over 300 Cuban medical personnel, engineers and science and mathematics teachers working in South Africa.
 
In addition, Deputy President Ramaphosa hopes to utilise the visit to Cuba among others  to learn from the Cuban expertise to improve on primary health-care, child mortality and specialised training;  discuss and share South Africa’s experience around monitoring , planning and evaluation; share South Africa’s experience in the areas of taxation, dual currency exchange and controls, anti-money laundering legislation;  discuss long-term recruitment plans of engineers and training intervention which could be implemented to train South Africa’s workforce locally and explore trade and business opportunities to advance bilateral trade between the two countries.
 
Deputy President Ramaphosa will hold bilateral discussions with his Cuban counterpart Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel. Discussions are expected among others to focus on bilateral political and economic relations, co-operation at a multilateral level as well as an overview of the updating of the Socialist Economic Model which will also include high level Ministerial discussions.
 
While in Cuba, Deputy President Ramaphosa will participate in ceremonies to lay wreaths at both the OR Tambo Bust and the statue of Cuban hero Jose Marti in Havana.  He will also address South African medical students based at the Cuban Medical University of Latin America, pay site visits to a Cuban pharmaceutical plant, tour the Policlinic, the Immunology Centre and tour the Mariel Free Port and Museum of Literacy. In addition, the Deputy President will address the South Africa-Business Forum; visit the Combined Energy Plant and Africa House.
 
The South African delegation includes South Africa’s Ambassador to Cuba Naphtalie Manana, Deputy Ministers Luwellyn Landers,  Enver Surty,  Dr Joe Phaahla, Godfrey Oliphant, Pam Tshwete,  Buti Manamela,  Mzwandile  Masina and Political and Legal Advisors of the Deputy  President,  Steyn Speed, Dr Nono Simelela and Adv. Nokukhanya Jele respectively.
 

Enquiries: Ronnie Mamoepa on +27 82 990 4853

Issued by: The Presidency
Pretoria