King seeks China’s help
KING Goodwill Zwelithini has appealed to the Chinese government and businesses to extend helping hands as Africa is desperate for healthcare facilities.
The king made the call when he accepted four mobile clinics Chinese business had donated for use in rural parts of the province.
The clinics, which are 12m long and 2.4m wide and worth about R1 million in total, will be sent to Nongoma, Hlabisa, Ulundi and Port Shepstone.
The king said that as he lived among rural communities, he had seen challenges people faced in accessing health-care facilities
He said many people walked “miles and miles” to get medical treatment, at either hospitals or clinics.
“Africa still needs a lot of support. I am not talking just in terms of KZN or South Africa, but we have neighbouring countries that are still suffering. So I am hoping that what is taking place here today is going to be scattered all over the continent. It must not end here,” he said.
He said children and pregnant women sometimes faced death while on their way to health facilities. The poor state of roads in rural areas did not help.
“I think we need to put forward these issues so that our friends (the Chinese community) should understand what Africa wants to see. We are not demanding, but requesting what our people need in the continent.”
The king said the donation was the culmination of a relationship he had built when he visited had China in 2002 with Queen Nompumelelo MaMchiza. After the visit the Chinese had helped KZN with the technology and equipment required to produce mushroom seeds.
The king said members of the community in Nongoma were still talking about 2013 Christmas gifts worth R300 000 from China.
“So we remain proud to count on you as one of our friends in development.
“Personally, I have fond memories of my visit. It was followed by a number of projects from business sectors in KZN and also in South Africa at large,” he said.
The king told the Chinese delegates about his 2009 initiative to revive circumcision to fight HIV/Aids.
The Chinese Consul-General in Durban, Wang Jianzhou, said KwaZulu-Natal stood to gain from 26 agreements which President Jacob Zuma and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, had signed during the two-day Forum on ChinaAfrica Co-operation held in Johannesburg last week.
“China and South Africa are good friends, brothers and partners in development. It shows that China cares about KZN well-being by delivering this medical equipment.
“We are reaching out to those who need medical attention,” he said.