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By Chow Wei Cheng JOHANNESBURG — Over the weekend of October 6-8, hundreds of delegates from around Southern Africa converged in Johannesburg for the first Cuba — Southern Africa Solidarity Conference. The conference was organised by various Cuba Friendship Associations in South Africa. Its aims were to oppose the blockade of Cuba by the US, and to support the struggle of the Cuban people to maintain their independence and right of self determination; to further popularise the struggle of the Cuban people within the Southern Africa region; to bring together a cross-section of individuals and organisations committed to solidarity with the Cuban people and their revolution; to galvanise and strengthen a Southern Africa — Cuba network. The conference also aimed to provide accurate information on Cuba; strengthen government relations with Cuba; express gratitude to Cuba for the decisive role they have played in the history of the Southern African region; and develop a program of action for 1996. Delegates were present from South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, US, Australia and the World Federation of Democratic Youth. South Africa's president, Nelson Mandela, opened the conference and confirmed South Africa's commitment to Cuba. "We are meeting not just as victims of apartheid and underdevelopment seeking help, but as free people ... wanting to build a better life", Mandela said. "The Cubans were the first to show solidarity and we are deeply indebted for their selfless contribution to ending apartheid in the region." Fidel Castro sent greetings to the conference, which was addressed by the president of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (CAP), Sergio Corrieri, and George Carriazo Moreno, deputy director of the World Economy Research Centre. Corrieri spoke about the current situation in Cuba and the achievements of the revolution. He said that while the collapse of the Eastern bloc had led to a reduction in trade by 85% and a collapse in Cuba's gross domestic product by 45%, no political crises have eventuated. He said that the question on Cuban people's minds was not how long the government would last, but how long and what the nature of the transition period to socialism would be. The conference was organised into three commissions — economic — covering trade ties, tourism, technology/medicine; political — covering government pressure, actions against the blockade, organisation and coordination of campaigns; and concrete — covering material aid, support and brigades. In addition, there were sectoral meetings of trade unionists, students, religious groups, art and cultural associations and women, as well as separate meetings around the issues of sports, civic life, medicine and health, literacy and education, and science and technology. Much of the activity planned from the conference centred around the regional implementation of decisions made at the World Solidarity with Cuba Conference held in Havana in November 1994. The Johannesburg conference decided, among other things, that Nelson Mandela, in cooperation with the heads of Southern African states, will facilitate a summit between Fidel Castro and US President Bill Clinton on the issue of the blockade; that members of parliament should form parliamentary associations to express rejection of the blockade; that the Non-aligned Movement would be called upon to indict the US at the World Court for violation of UN resolutions; and that the Organisation of African Unity be called on to declare an Africa Day of Solidarity with Cuba. The political commission also resolved to set up broad-based national friendship associations in each Southern African country and to later develop a framework for these associations to participate in joint solidarity activities.