Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA is seeking to deepen cooperation with Cuba in education, healthcare, youth development, water infrastructure, engineering and tourism, as Prime Minister Tjitunga Elijah Ngurare undertakes an official visit to the Caribbean nation.
Ngurare arrived in Havana on 6 August for a visit running until 11 August 2026, during which he has held talks with senior Cuban officials, engaged with Cuban and Namibian youth, visited historical sites linked to the country’s revolutionary history and met Namibian students studying in Cuba.
During a welcoming dinner with Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz in Havana, Ngurare called for Namibia and Cuba to move beyond their longstanding political solidarity towards stronger economic cooperation.
Photos: Office of the Prime Minister (OPM Namibia)
He said Namibia’s independence had been supported by countries such as Cuba and that the two countries should now work together towards economic independence.
Ngurare highlighted education, health, youth exchange programmes, water infrastructure, engineering and people-to-people relations as areas where cooperation could be expanded.
He also invited Cuban youth to study and engage in cultural and educational programmes in Namibia.
“The Cuban young people should feel free to come and study in Namibia,” Ngurare said.
He further proposed greater exchanges of technical and engineering expertise, particularly in water infrastructure development, which he said could contribute to improved community food security.
During the visit, Ngurare paid tribute to Cuban revolutionary leader and national hero José Martí by laying a wreath at his memorial.
He also visited the Fidel Castro Centre in Havana, where he was taken through the life and legacy of the former Cuban leader.
Ngurare said the visit had given him several lessons about Castro’s leadership and commitment to improving the lives of the Cuban people through access to healthcare, education, housing, water and other social services.
“We shall never forget the sacrifices Cuba has made for Namibia. Cuban international forces laid their lives for Namibia. Namibia shall forever stand with Cuba in good or in bad times. My visit here is a manifestation of this position,” he said.
Ngurare also reflected on what he described as a striking coincidence in Castro’s life, adding that the Cuban revolutionary movement began on 25 November 1956 and that Castro died on 25 November 2016.
Ngurare also met with the First Secretary of the Young Communist League of Cuba, Meyvis Estévez Echevarria, and a delegation of Cuban youth at the Fidel Castro Museum.
He encouraged young Cubans to visit Namibia for business, arts, cultural and educational exchanges, telling them that Namibia was also their country.
He urged the younger generation to carry forward the revolutionary spirit associated with leaders such as Castro and Namibia’s Founding President, Sam Nujoma.
“Make the impossible possible” like Fidel Castro towards economic emancipation, Ngurare said, adding that Castro had played his part in the political revolution and that the current generation should lead an economic revolution.
Ngurare said Cuba was the only country outside Africa known to Namibians that sent soldiers to fight and die for Namibia’s liberation without seeking anything in return.
Ngurare also reaffirmed Namibia’s support for Cuba during what he described as difficult times.
During a courtesy call on the President of Cuba’s National Assembly of People’s Power, Esteban Lazo Hernández, he said Namibia remained committed to supporting its longstanding ally.
“Cuba sent its sons to die for us when it was unfashionable to do so. We salute Cuba in the day or in the night. We salute Cuba in our youth and in our old age for what Cuba, as small as it is, has done for Namibia,” he said.
Ngurare said his visit demonstrated Namibia’s continued support for the Cuban people and their resilience despite the challenges facing the country.
The Prime Minister also met Namibian students studying in Cuba and assured them that the government would seek solutions to challenges affecting their studies.
The students raised concerns including electricity shortages, which they said were negatively affecting their studies, as well as the quality of food provided at their hostels.
“We cannot be oblivious to the situation which we know is not of your making. We cannot betray you. We will not leave you alone. We will stand with you. Our prayer is for you to succeed,” Ngurare told the students.
He praised the students for demonstrating resilience despite the challenges and said their studies aligned with Namibia’s development priorities.
Most of the Namibian students in Cuba are studying engineering and medicine, while some have already graduated and are preparing to return home with medical qualifications accredited by the Namibia Qualifications Authority.
Ngurare said government support for the students was deliberate and aligned with the Eighth Administration’s priorities on education and youth development.
He also linked the initiative to the aspirations of Nujoma, who encouraged Namibians to acquire specialised qualifications, particularly in fields such as engineering and medicine.
As part of the visit, Ngurare travelled to Varadero, a major beach resort in Matanzas Province, where representatives of the Matanzas-Varadero Tourism Board briefed him on the country’s tourism sector.
He said Namibia could learn from Cuba’s approach to tourism administration, particularly its decentralised model in which tourism boards operate across the country’s provinces.
“We are happy to be here in Varadero to see for ourselves what you do and be able to learn from you,” Ngurare said.
The Prime Minister was accompanied during parts of the visit by Namibia’s Ambassador to Cuba, Lebbius Tobias, Deputy Minister of Works and Transport Hans Haikali and his Special Advisor, Asser Ntinda.
Ngurare’s official visit to Cuba concludes on 11 August.
