President Nandi-Ndaitwah hails Castro as ‘friend of Africa’, calls for end to Cuba embargo

Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah described the late Cuban leader Fidel Castro as a “friend of Africa” whose internationalist commitment helped alter the course of Namibia’s liberation struggle.

Speaking at State House during commemorations of Castro’s centenary birth, marked across Africa and Latin America this week, Nandi-Ndaitwah said the occasion was “not merely commemorative, but deeply personal” for Namibians.

“We honour the legacy of a man whose life became inseparable from the struggles of oppressed peoples across the world,” she said. “A revolutionary whose vision extended far beyond the shores of Cuba to embrace the aspirations of Africa. A statesman whose unwavering commitment to justice helped alter the course of our own history.”

The President said Namibia’s liberation was directly linked to Cuba’s support under Castro, describing Cuba as “not a distant voice of solidarity” but “a steadfast comrade in our struggle for freedom, independence and human dignity.”