• Submitted by: manso
• Politics and Government
• 12 / 10 / 2010

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Thursday 09 December 2010.By Tom Mellen.South African President Jacob Zuma wrapped up a four-day visit to Cuba on Wednesday by writing off $137 million (£86m) in  debts and announcing a 210m rand (£19m) credit package.

At a farewell ceremony at Havana's international Jose Marti airport the South African leader expressed his admiration for the "Cubans' depth of internationalist feeling and patriotism."

Mr Zuma held official talks with President Raul Castro on Tuesday before joining him for a military and political ceremony to honour Cuban independence fighter Antonio Maceo and Cuban soldiers who were killed while fighting pro-apartheid forces in Africa in the 1980s.

The 1988 victory of Cuban and Angolan government forces over Unita rebels and South African troops in the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale has come to be recognised as a major factor in convincing the white minority regime in Pretoria to begin talks with jailed ANC leader Nelson Mandela.

South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers applauded Mr Zuma's decision to write off Cuba's debts.

It hailed it as "a revolutionary gesture" that would revive relations sealed by Cuba's staunch support for the South African liberation struggle.

"This gesture should serve as a basis for renewing our fraternal relations with Cuba, which was borne out of a concrete struggle for freedom and liberation of the oppressed people of our country and the southern African region."

Mr Zuma said that his country would also grant Cuba trading credits to import South African goods as part of efforts to boost trade and investment.

Trade between the two countries fell to just 1m rand (£90,000) this year, down from 82m rand (£7.5 m) in 2008.

South African Trade Minister Robert Davies said that the decision to cancel the debt was a "strategic step towards reinvigorating our commercial relations with Cuba."

Source:www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/98644