SACP mourns the death of the Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban revolution‎, Comrade Fidel Castro, an internationalist revolutionary par excellence

The South African Communist Party (SACP) expresses its profound revolutionary solidarity and condolences with the people of Cuba and Castro’s family on the passing on of former Cuban President Comrade Fidel Castro. Cuban President Comrade Raul Castro announced last night 25 November 2016 that: “The Commander-in-Chief of the Cuban Revolution died at 22:29 hours”.  SACP General Secretary Comrade Blade Nzimande expressing the Party’s condolences the following morning 26 November 2016 said:

“Comrade Fidel Castro belonged to the rarest breed of finest revolutionaries who made an invaluable contribution in the struggle for the emancipation of humanity. Human history will be incomplete without Comrade Fidel Castro’s colossal contribution in the struggle for freedom, for  a society without the exploitation of one person, group, or country by another. The SACP is deeply saddened by the loss.”

The people and government of Cuba offered an outstanding solidarity support under the leadership of Comrade Fidel Castro in our own struggle against colonial oppression, apartheid, economic exploitation and African continental independence. The defeat of the forces of apartheid South Africa in Angola that paved the way to the dislodgment of the apartheid regime in South Africa in 1994 would not have happened without the people of Cuba and Comrade Fidel Castro’s exceptional leadership. 

Cuba’s contribution in the struggle for freedom by the democratic people of our country, Southern African region, the African continent and elsewhere came without any strings attached. This revolutionary culture continues to this day, the latest example being the excellent work done by Cuban healthcare professionals in the fight against the deadly Ebola virus in our continent. South Africa is also host to Cuban healthcare professionals working in rural areas where there are few or even no South African doctors looking after the health needs of our people.   South Africa also has about 3000 students training as doctors in Cuba.

We deep our red revolutionary banner in memory of Cde Fidel!

Statement issued by the SACP, 26 November 2016