A brigade of 23 Cuban specialists in water supply and sanitation issues is in South Africa today to help this country on the sensitive issue of water security.

His arrival, explained to Prensa Latina during the reception of the group of engineers by the Cuban ambassador to South Africa, Rodolfo Benítez Verson, materializes the implementation of the new bilateral agreement on the subject signed in February 2020.

Joint projects in this area, said the diplomat, are now being restarted after a brief interruption, also marked by the delay in the trip due to the restrictive health measures established in both nations due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In this context, Benítez Verson revealed, the South African government has highlighted the importance of the presence of these Cuban experts so that they also support national efforts in confronting Covid-19 from their specialties.

South Africa, he explained, has few water resources, most of the water consumed is even imported (from Lesotho).

Therefore, he added, the country needs large water infrastructure projects that it does not yet have, and that is a field in which Cuban engineers will support.

This will allow key facilities in the face of the pandemic such as hospitals and other health facilities, he said, as well as schools and communities, to have a stable and reliable water supply.

This aspect turns out to be an essential element in terms of maintaining adequate hygienic and sanitary conditions for the comprehensive confrontation with Covid-19, added Benítez Verson.

According to the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources, of Cuba, for the current stage of collaboration with South Africa, as a novel aspect is conceived an integration of Cuban specialists to the management of the Ministry of Water and Sanitation of South Africa.

At the time of the signing of the new agreement in early 2020, the Ambassador highlighted how the understanding reflects the vibrant and continuous expansion of bilateral cooperation, which is also expressed in sectors such as health, education, construction and culture, among others.

The diplomat recalled that the bilateral cooperation between Cuba and South Africa is for the benefit of the two peoples, it does not seek prosperity for a few or economic advantages, but is "a genuine example of South-South cooperation."

From Prensa Latina