Yesterday, 2 July, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Blade Nzimande, received Her Excellency, Mrs. Esther Armenteros, Cuban Ambassador to South Africa for a courtesy visit.
Over the past three decades, South Africa’s collaboration with Cuba evolved significantly in critical areas of human development such as public health, water resource management, and education.
Last year, South Africa and Cuba celebrated 30 years of Diplomatic relations. In the area of science, South Africa-Cuba co-operation goes back to 2001, when the first science, technology and innovation agreement was signed.
Flowing from this, between 2005 and 2007, South Africa invested more than 44 million rands in joint biotechnology and nanotechnology projects with Cuba, focusing on critical areas such as the development of cholera vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and pre-clinical drug development, which included interventions against the Human Papilloma Virus.
These early joint projects brought together South African research facilities such as Mintek, iThemba Labs, and the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, laying the groundwork for future cooperation in nuclear medicine and diagnostic technology.
Further to this, in 2015, a technical delegation from South Africa visited Cuba to study Cuba’s world-class biotechnology ecosystem.
In April this year, Minister Nzimande undertook a comprehensive visit to Cuba, whose key outcome was the signing of a Statement of Intent to renew the existing science, technology, and innovation agreement between Cuba and South Africa and to expand the areas of cooperation.
A further commitment was made by Minister Nzimande and his counterpart, Cuba’s Minister of Science, Technology and Environment, Mr. Armando Rodríguez Batista to ensure that the revival of the existing STI agreement is concluded by the end of this year.
Emphasising the importance of SA-Cuba STI cooperation, Minister Nzimande stated that “South Africa and Cuba share a commitment to use scientific knowledge to resolve their development challenges and to respond to the grand challenges of energy security, climate change and the urgent need to diversify our economies.”
“Cuba has unparalleled expertise in such areas as healthcare, biotechnology, and education with South Africa’s strengths in mining, renewable energy, astronomy and space sciences research and innovation. This provides a firm basis for continued cooperation and the development of sustainable solutions for both countries,” added the Minister.
Cooperation between South Africa and Cuba is also driven by a shared commitment to such values as peace, justice, multi-lateralism, the equitable development of all nations and a commitment to building a more just and humane world, through science.
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