Minister Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe hosts Technical Team and in partnership with Embassy of the People’s Republic of China

Today, the Minister of Social Development, Ms Nokuzola Sisisi Tolashe and Deputy Minister Mr. Ganief Hendricks hosted a meeting jointly with the Ambassador of The People’s Republic of China His Excellency Wu Peng with the Technical Team from China who presented the findings of their preparatory research on poverty alleviation project for Kgomo Kgomo Village in North West. The North West Provincial Government was represented by Premier Mr Lazarus Kagiso Makgosi, MEC for Social Development Ms Sussana Dantjie, Mayor of Moretele Local Municipality and Speaker and MMCs.

The meeting received feedback from the Leader of the Chinese Research Team of experts on the findings of the fact finding mission that they have conducted in Kgomo Kgomo Village.

Speaking at the meeting, the Minister Tolashe said: “Today’s meeting marks a significant milestone in achieving the goals of the cooperation agreement in the field of social development between the two countries. South Africa doesn’t take lightly the investment by the People’s Republic of China and its contribution to the priorities of the Government of National Unity—inclusive growth and job creation and reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living”.

The Government of the Republic of South Africa is grateful to the people and the Government of the People’s Republic of China for their commitment to collaborate with us in piloting the rural poverty alleviation project, with Moretele Local Municipality being the selected site. The Government of the People’s Republic of China has successfully lifted over 700 million citizens out of abject poverty.

This partnership will deepen the existing diplomatic relations between South Africa and China. South Africa has taken over the chairpersonship of the G20 from Brazil and South African Government of National Unity priority of reducing poverty and tackle the high cost of living. One of the key priorities during this chairpersonship is that of addressing poverty, unemployment and inequality through inclusive economic growth. The Poverty Alleviation Project is better positioned to contribute tremendously towards the achievement of this priority, which is led by the Department of Social Development. The partnership will also contribute effectively towards the achievement of the National Development Plan (NDP) Vision 2030 and the African Union (AU) agenda 2060, as well as ensuring that no one is left behind.

This background highlights a significant development in the partnership between China and South Africa. Key points include:

1.The State Visit: Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to South Africa in August 2023 marked a crucial moment in diplomatic relations.
2. Poverty Alleviation Commitment: President Xi's announcement underscored China's commitment to supporting South Africa's poverty alleviation efforts.
3. Global Development Initiative (GDI): The project aligns with China's GDI, focusing on poverty alleviation and food security.
4. UN 2030 Agenda: The initiative supports the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing global cooperation.

This partnership showcases China's willingness to share its expertise and resources to address pressing development challenges in South Africa, the cornerstone of the South-South Cooperation.    

This Poverty Alleviation Model will be implemented within the parameters of the District Development Model (DDM), where co-operation between National, Province and the Municipality for a common goal, to have all hands on deck for the betterment of the people of South Africa. Efforts will also be made to mobilize the involvement of the private sector and Civil Society Organizations in implementing this Poverty Alleviation Project. Government alone will not be able to address the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality, which besiege our communities.

Minister said “I must emphasize that in line with the DDM philosophy and ethos, we envision this Poverty Alleviation Model to benefit the entire Ward 21 villages and not just one village”

The South African delegation assured the People’s Republic of China that it is here as the three spheres of government in support of the project and to show its commitment as Political Leadership with the administration on behalf of the people of South Africa. They will not allow this investment vanish without achieving the original intent envisioned by our leaders when they met during the State Visit in 2023. The Minister wished the Technical team a safe journey back home and look forward to the return of Chines team with practical interventions to eradicate poverty in South Africa.

Enquiries
Sandi Mbatsha
Spokesperson
Minister of Social Development
Cell: 082 525 2959
E-mail: SandiM@dsd.gov.za

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