James N Kariuki
30 March 2008
Nairobi — Two weeks ago, a South African delegation composed of military veterans, members of the civil society, government officials, scholars and journalists left Pretoria on a 10-day Heritage Trail.
Their slow odyssey would take them through South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and finally land them in Cuito Cuanavale in Angola. This trip was one of post-apartheid South Africa's official initiatives to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the battle of Cuito Cuanavale.
Twenty years ago on March 23, 1988, Cuito Cuanavale went silent. Largely unreported by the international media because of apartheid censorship, this remote town in southern Angola had endured 10 months of virtually relentless military bombardment of what turned out to be the last battle of the cold war. That battle, or rather series of battles, forever changed the history and political landscape of Southern Africa.
At that previously unknown town Angolan, Namibian and Cuban military forces brought the military intrusions of the apartheid regime's aggression to a halt. Concurrently, South African liberation armies located in Northern Angola thwarted the Angolan rebel armies of Jonas Savimbi from advancing and reinforcing the apartheid forces.
Peace negotiations followed the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale resulting in the withdrawal of the South African forces from Angola and Namibia, the independence of Namibia and ultimately South Africa's own negotiated peace settlement.
The post-apartheid South African Government is convinced that the Battle of Cuito Cuanavale has not received the historical credit that it rightly deserves, that the decisive military encounter remains an obscure milestone in the history of humanity. Yet, the battle's overall contribution to the liberation of the African sub-continent cannot forever be masked. Accordingly, contemporary South African officialdom feels duty-bound to engage in the gigantic task of re-writing its history, history that was either distorted or ignored by the apartheid regime. Hence, the current commemoration of the Cuito Cuanavale battle.
The commemoration is not merely about military strategies and warfare astuteness. It is more about universal commitment to justice, righteousness and human rights. As the Speaker of South Africa National Assembly has put it, "It is of paramount importance that we internalise the values, such as internationalism and selfless human solidarity that inspired and informed the South African liberation".
Internationalist principles
Earlier, the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs had stressed the same point. "It is important that these examples of solidarity, on internationalism and of spirit of sacrifice are transmitted to the young generations so that they are aware of the past struggles that led to the liberation of the homeland." In his view, the legacy of common suffering in battle should serve as a catalyst to reinforce a sense of fellowship among the various countries and their peoples.
The Cuban Deputy Ambassador to South Africa has stated that Cuba came to Africa prompted by its internationalist principles. Cuba "was fulfilling its duty to help the people of Africa against apartheid, against racism, against colonialism, against foreign aggression".
Cuba did not fight in Angola in search of economic benefits or to defend strategic interests. Indeed, it "left with nothing but the coffins of its sons and daughters, who died in the struggle to liberate Africa". But Cubans "...took from Africa one of the most valuable riches that have a great significance for the Cubans - the love and respect of its peoples".
In reflecting on the events preceding the collapse of apartheid, it is well that we recall the brutalities of the former regime (lest we forget) but, more importantly, we should focus on the solidarity exhibited by nations far beyond Southern Africa, nations that in their own way contributed to the fall of the brutal apartheid regime. A globalising world reminds us of the greater levels of interdependence that has emerged between citizens of the world. The need still persists to strengthen the common pursuit for peace, justice, and universal human rights.
The South African Parliament insists that it has a special responsibility to expose the subcontinent's historical truth in the bid to heal divisions of the past in its own society and to bring together Africans, including those living in the African Diaspora, with the ultimate aim of building a peaceful Africa and the world.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The East African Standard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
