South Africa: Warm Welcome to "Cuban Five"

Pretoria — The Department of International Relations and Cooperation says South Africa has welcomed the "Cuban Five" to the country.

The five Cuban national heroes are Gerardo Hernandez, Ramón Labañino, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero and René Gonzalez.

They are in the country to thank government, including the tripartite alliance, and the people who called for their release from prison.

According to the department, René González was released on 7 October 2011 following the completion of 13 years of his sentence with a further three years of probation in the US. He was allowed to return to Cuba for his father's funeral on 22 April 2013, and a federal judge allowed him to stay there provided that he renounce his United States citizenship.

Fernando González was released on 27 February 2014.

The department said the remaining members were released on 17 December 2014 in a prisoner swap with Cuba for an American intelligence officer in what is seen as a precursor to the joint announcements by President Castro of Cuba and President Obama of the United States of America that the two countries will work towards the full restoration of diplomatic ties.

"To celebrate their release and to thank them for their sacrifices made during the war in Angola, the Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation will host a public participation programme in Cape Town on 22 June 2015," said the department.

An engagement with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation is scheduled to be held at Parliament on 23 June 2015.

The department said Cuba has participated in the reconstruction of South Africa by training scores of South African youth in medicine in Cuba, among other things.

"Cuba's ongoing support for the South African government's main priorities through the implementation of joint programmes in health, social development, defence, housing and infrastructure is significant.

"In addition, the deployment of Cuban doctors, engineers and technical experts throughout South Africa is a further demonstration of Cuba's commitment to work with South Africa to address the infrastructural back-logs inherited from the pre-1994 period."

There are almost 3000 South African medical students studying in Cuba at the moment, with a further 45 starting their studies in medicine in Cuba in September 2015.

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