MANDELA'S WISH

Cuba and South Africa were once the best of friends. In this video, Nelson Mandela reminds us of what Cuba did to support South Africa in the anti-apartheid struggle. The Caribbean island nation supplied South African anti-apartheid forces with weapons, training and logistical support, while losing more than 5,000 soldiers in the fight against apartheid South Africa and its allies in Angola. After apartheid ended, Cuba trained South African doctors through the Nelson Mandela/Fidel Castro Medical Collaboration Programme. In July 2023 alone, more than 450 South Africans graduated from medical school in Cuba, set to serve in disadvantaged communities.

So, it is understandable why Mandela was so keen on Castro visiting his country—a wish that was granted in 1998, shortly after this brief meeting.