22 March 2021

Freedom Park will on the 23 March 2021 host a public lecture to commemorate the Cuito Canavale battle. The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale was a crucial event of the Angolan Civil War and the South African Border War with Oliver Tambo referring to it as the Waterloo of racist South Africa.^[1] The battle of Cuito Cuanavale and the Cuban intervention in Angola is one of the turning points in Southern African history.

The public lecture shall focus on the history and politics of this battle within the context of the larger liberation struggle for democracy.  The purpose of the lecture is to honour and represent the historical significanance of this battle and a watershed moment in the histroy of liberation, freedom and democracy.

The Minister of Sport Arts and Culture Mr Nathi Mthethwa  shall deliver a keynote address. Councellor Eduardo Kondwa from the Anglan Embassy, HE IIaya  Rogachev from the Russian Embassy, HE Mr Rodolfo from the Cuban Embassy will atten the event that will culminate in a wreath laying ceremony.

In a  Ministerial Bilateral Agreement, signed in April 2018, by the Department of Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Mr Nathi Mthethwa and his Angolan counterpart, Mrs Carolina Cerqueira,  identified  23 March as a Day of Reflection. Freedom Park was chosen as a key heritage site for a joint colloboration of the 33rd anniversary of the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale in accordance with in terms of the Programme of Cooperation.

Freedom Park has inscribed the 2,070 names of Cuban soldiers who fell in Angola between 1975 and 1988. ‘ We  could not be more honoured and indeed humbled  to host an event  so significant in the history of our country, an event that reminds us that our freedom was hard earned. ” Freedom Park  CEO Jane Mufamadi

Members of the Media are invited as Follows:

23 March 2021

Time: 10h00-12h00

Venue: Freedom Park, Pretoria:

Enquiries:

Naomi Madima: 012 336 4006/ 060 961 3851