One hundred years after Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro's birth, Namibia says his legacy remains woven into its freedom story. 

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah honoured Castro and Cuba's role in the liberation struggle, declaring that Namibia's independence story cannot be told without Castro and the Cuban people.

The late Castro's centenary became more than a remembrance of a revolutionary leader.

It turned into a reminder of the decades-old ties between Namibia and Cuba, forged on the battlefields of Southern Africa and carried into three decades of diplomatic cooperation.

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Cuba stood with Namibia when others did not.

"It is impossible to recount the history of Namibia's liberation without acknowledging the immense contribution of Cuba and the steadfast leadership of Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro. He was not only a leader of the Cuban Revolution but also a friend of Africa and a committed ally of the liberation movements of our continent."

The 1987 Battle of Cuito Cuanavale remains the turning point that changed Southern Africa's political future, opening the path to Namibia's independence and the eventual collapse of apartheid.

President Nandi-Ndaitwah says thus the relationship between the two countries was built through sacrifice rather than political convenience.

"Thousands of Cuban soldiers travelled thousands of kilometres from their homeland, not in pursuit of territorial wealth or political domination, but in defence of freedom and dignity. They believed that the struggle against colonialism, racism and apartheid was a common struggle of humanity."

That spirit of solidarity never ended with Namibia's independence, says Cuban Ambassador Sergio Vigoa de la Uz.

He says it has translated to decades of cooperation in health, education, agriculture and other sectors through Cuban professionals serving across Namibia.

"That solidarity was not only military. It was and continues to be humanitarian solidarity. Every doctor, every teacher, every technician and every Cuban collaborator who has served in Namibia has brought not only professional knowledge but also a message of friendship and fraternity."

The Namibia-Cuba Solidarity Committee echoed that history continues to inspire support for the Caribbean nation and internationalism.

"Fidel was a patriot inspired by the love of his country, who had just seen it there, and a passion for justice for the dispossessed. He was a man fired with an inextinguishable desire to defend the honour and the dignity of a truly independent Cuba. Because of the Cuban support and immeasurable sacrifices for our freedom and independence, the people of Namibia have deep-rooted admiration and affection for Commandant Fidel and the people of Cuba."

As Namibia marked Fidel Castro's centenary, the message from Windhoek is that his legacy reaches far beyond history books and into daily realities.