Cuban embassy celebrates Mandela’s birth Centenary
The Embassy of Cuba in South Africa has organized a series of activities to celebrate the Centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela.
In a statement, the Cuban embassy said for Cubans, Nelson Mandela is a symbol of the special bonds that unite Cuba and South Africa. Quoting the late president Fidel Castrol the embassy said: “Nelson Mandela will not go down in history for the 27 consecutive years he spent in prison, without ever renouncing to his ideas; he will be remembered because he was capable of cleaning up his heart and soul from all the venom that such unfair punishment can accumulate; for his generosity and the wisdom he showed in brilliantly leading his selfless and heroic people when the time of victory could no longer be contained, deeply convinced that South Africa could not be built on hatred and revenge (…)It is a fact that Mandela was an upright man, a profound revolutionary and a radical socialist who endured with great stoicism 27 years of solitary confinement. I could not but admire his honesty, modesty and enormous merit”.
The celebrations will begin with a concert by the Cuban women’s choir Ensemble Vocal Luna, at the St. George’s Cathedral, in Cape Town, on Sunday, July 15 at 3:00pm.
On Monday, July 16, the documentary of the North American director, Estela Bravo, entitled “Mandela and Fidel”, will be screened at the headquarters of the Center for Latin American and the Caribbean Studies within the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD) associated with UNISA, at 4: 00pm.
“We will continue the tribute to Madiba on July 17, with a mini concert from the Ensemble Vocal Luna Choir, along with the SABC Choir, at 2:00pm, in the M1 studio of SABC.
“On July 19 the Cuban choral art will be present in another South African Province, it will perform at the Limpopo Library, the female Cuban Choir, will offer a concert with the provincial choir of this sister city.
“Highlighting the important role that Soweto played in the struggle against apartheid, the Cuban Choir will perform alongside the Soweto Choir, Imilonji KaNtu, on the 21st of July at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus, Chris Hani Road – Conference Hall, at 2:00pm,” read the statement.
