Pretoria – The embassy of the State of Qatar says it has a sustained programme to work closely with partners, including the South African government, to alleviate poverty and suffering among needy communities.
On Friday, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to South Africa, Tariq Ali Faraj Al-Ansari joined Deputy Minister of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, Candith Mashego-Dlamini in Mookgopong, Limpopo, to commemorate Nelson Mandela International Day.
Hundreds of elderly community members at the Mookgopong Old Age Centre were showered with blankets, food items including vegetables and mealie meal and hygienic products.
Additionally, the ambassador bought two cattle for the pensioners as part of the donation.
The embassy also provided a water tank and farming goods to enable to community to grow their own vegetables.
“It has been a great pleasure for me to join the celebration of Mandela Day and Mandela Month which is not only a national South African celebration but it is also a Qatari celebration since it is an material international celebration declared by a United Nations General Assembly resolution.
“It has been an important day also to show the community that we are supporting their social development. The foreign ministry of South Africa coordinated with the embassy, Her Excellency the Deputy [International Relations] Minister Candith Mashego-Dlamini spoke to me about visiting the place and we agreed to visit. We have met the elderly people and we brought them gifts.”
The Qatari diplomat said his country had an ongoing international programme to assist the needy in South Africa, and in times of calamity like the recent floods in KwaZulu Natal.
“In my culture, and in my country according to my religion as a Muslim it is important and a duty to take care of the elderly people. My culture is similar to the South African culture. In Qatar we have a strategy, a national vision and international cooperation is part of it. The foreign aid is part of the international cooperation sectoral strategy under the leadership of His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of the State of Qatar,” he said.
“Friends are known in a time of need, not only in the time of prosperity and that is what we are known for as Qatar. We are very proud to have this partnership with South Africa. In Qatar, ours is a sustainable policy. It is not occasional. As you know, in the aftermath of the deadly floods in KwaZulu Natal, Qatar also supported the people. I was personally there in KwaZulu Natal with the Red Crescent of Qatar and the Qatar Fund for Development and I was honoured the ministers of foreign affairs, cooperative governance and social development were there.”
Mashego-Dlamini expressed gratitude for the Qatari donation, adding that it was paramount for every nation to take care of its elderly.
“Elderly people are very important in South Africa. Remember we are coming from a very difficult past in our lifetime. So, our elderly people are the people who fought for this democracy that we enjoying – all of us. The elderly are the people that contributed with their lives and energy in terms of developing South Africa,” she said.
“We have come back to them to remind them that they are still very important for their country. Their contribution is recognized. We have our partner Qatar, a country partnering with South Africa and we have a very good relationship with them. The relationship between South Africa and Qatar started with our forefathers – the Mandela’s and so on.”
She said government had rolled out different programmes in the impoverished Limpopo community, including projects to fight gender-based violence.
IOL