South Africa urges US to end Cuba embargo, citing harm to public health and development ac

South Africa’s Parliament is pressing for the immediate and unconditional lifting of United States economic sanctions against Cuba, arguing that the decades-long embargo directly limits the health, education, and development opportunities available to citizens in both countries and across the region.

The Portfolio Committee on International Relations and Cooperation made the declaration following a bilateral meeting with Cuban representatives on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. The engagement centered on deepening practical cooperation in health, education, and economic development, areas where the two countries have built substantial ties since South Africa’s transition to democracy.

The public-health dimension of this relationship is concrete and well-documented. Cuba deployed 463 doctors to South Africa between 1996 and 1998 to support public health needs, with 55 of those physicians remaining in the country long-term. Over the same period, Cuba trained 3,243 South Africans to become doctors. Those numbers reflect the scale of Cuba’s contribution to building South Africa’s health infrastructure at a critical moment in the nation’s development, when communities across the country needed trained medical professionals most.

Committee members emphasized that this legacy of solidarity must translate into expanded programs addressing current developmental priorities. Health collaboration would include continued deployment of Cuban medical brigades to South Africa, ongoing training of South African medical students in Cuban institutions, and joint work in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and vaccine production. Trade, investment, and economic exchange also emerged as priorities, with particular focus on agriculture, renewable energy, tourism, infrastructure, and skills development.

Meanwhile, the committee noted South Africa’s previous financial support to Cuba through the African Renaissance and International Cooperation Fund, which extended a R210 million economic assistance package and a proposed R50 million humanitarian assistance package. Cuban officials confirmed that the country has maintained payment schedules on these loans, with approximately R13 million remaining outstanding.

The committee resolved to continue advocating for the lifting of US sanctions in multilateral forums including the United Nations, the African Union, BRICS, and the Non-Aligned Movement. Members argued that the embargo continues to restrict Cuba’s development trajectory and prevents the kind of mutually beneficial international cooperation that could advance shared goals for ordinary people on both sides.

Beyond government-to-government ties, the committee expressed support for strengthening parliamentary and people-to-people exchanges, including regular parliamentary engagements and cooperation in education, culture, sport, and youth development. These initiatives aim to deepen the connection between the populations of both nations.

The dialogue outcomes are expected to inform South Africa’s preparations for the 19th Session of the South Africa-Cuba Joint Consultative Mechanism, with emphasis on strengthening cooperation and advancing shared positions on global justice, equality, and sustainable development. Committee Chairperson Supra Mahumapelo reaffirmed that South Africa remains steadfast in its solidarity with Cuba and will continue pursuing cooperation and friendship in pursuit of a more just and equitable international order.

Whether the renewed push in multilateral forums will shift the long-standing US position on the embargo remains the open question that will shape how much of this cooperation can realistically be expanded for the citizens who stand to benefit from it.