Johannesburg（People's Daily）- On September 11, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa held a donation ceremony to support primary and secondary schools in South Africa combating COVID-19. Senior officials from the Ministry of Basic Education of South Africa, representatives from the Education Department of the northern Cape Province, and diplomats from the embassy attended the ceremony.

Photo: People's Daily

Li Nan, charge d 'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in South Africa, said that since the outbreak of the epidemic in South Africa, leaders, political parties and all sectors of the two countries have maintained good contact, communication and interaction, and the two sides have worked together to fight the epidemic.

He said that the Embassy recently learned that many primary and secondary schools in South Africa have been using by inadequate anti-epidemic facilities and protective supplies, which has caused concern among the Ministry of Education of South Africa. The Chinese Embassy in South Africa fully understands the anxiety, and are willing to do everything they can to share in their troubles and worries.

He noted that, to support the basic education system in South Africa, the Chinese Embassy in South Africa has allocated 1 million rand from this year's limited budget to support the purchase and installation of water tanks for some primary and secondary schools in the northern Cape Province. 

He also took this opportunity to express thanks to Lin Songtian, the former Chinese ambassador to South Africa, for supporting South Africa in the fight against COVID-19. He said, Lin sent a batch of special materials for epidemic prevention to South Africa. According to Lin's instructions, the embassy will also donate 50,000 masks and 400 thermometer guns from this batch of materials to the Ministry of Basic Education of South Africa.

Moseka, the minister of Basic Education of South Africa, expressed heartfelt thanks to the Chinese Embassy in South Africa and the Chinese government for donating water tanks, masks and thermometer guns. She said the donation from the embassy will be used for the purchase of anti-epidemic water storage tanks for northern Cape Province, which will also effectively relieve the pressure of chronic water shortage in local primary and secondary schools. “We will send the masks and other anti-epidemic materials donated by the embassy to those primary and secondary schools as soon as possible.”

It is reported that the Education Department of the northern Cape Province has identified the beneficiary schools, purchasing units and construction units. The water tank built with funds donated by the embassy in South Africa will soon be put into use in seven local primary and secondary schools, benefiting 2,821 students. The donated masks, thermometer guns and other anti-epidemic materials will also be sent to primary and secondary schools designated by the Ministry of Basic Education of South Africa in the near future, which will effectively alleviate the shortage of anti-epidemic materials in primary and secondary schools in South Africa.

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Africa in 1998, especially since the signing of the agreement in 2013, cooperation in the field of basic education has been developing continuously. Even during the epidemic, as part of the bilateral relationship and its important foundation, the two countries remain committed to developing cooperation in basic education.