Chinese Consul General Pan Qingjiang donates R250,000 equipment to support Soweto school

The Consulate General of China, working in conjunction with the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, has donated educational support equipment and school furniture to Progress Comprehensive High School, in Pimville, Soweto.

Since his arrival in South Africa in 2024, Consul General of China in Johannesburg, Pan Qingjiang has prioritised education among South African learners in Gauteng and Free State - provinces serviced by his diplomatic mission.

At the handover of the R250,000 donation, which was also attended by Gauteng Speaker Morakane Mosupyoe, the Chinese diplomat said the school furniture initiative is another manifestation of the many collaborative projects.

“I am greatly honoured to be here at the furniture handover event alongside the esteemed Speaker, Ms Morakane Mosupyoe. The consulate has maintained close collaboration with the Speaker in many areas to promote friendship between China and South Africa,” said Pan.

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“One of our commitments is to support education and young learners. Today’s furniture donation is another manifestation of our many collaborative projects. 

“It is really a great pleasure today that I stand before you, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Johannesburg, announcing our support for Progress Comprehensive High School with 200 desks and 550 chairs,” he told the gathering.

He added that the donation programme is a token of support for education in the Soweto community from the Chinese Consulate which reflects the People’s Republic of China and South Africa’s “consistent and strong common commitment and dedication” to the unparalleled bilateral ties.

“China and South Africa enjoy traditional friendship featuring comradery plus brotherhood. Under the guidance of our two presidents, China-South Africa relationship has been elevated to an all-round strategic cooperative partnership in the new era.  We are gratified to note that between the two countries the political mutual trust has deepened, practical cooperation has flourished, cultural exchanges have broadened,” said Pan, a seasoned diplomat who has served in different Chinese missions.

“This makes the China-South Africa relationship a model for China-Africa relations and South-South cooperation. 

“As the Consul General of China in Johannesburg, I’m so proud and encouraged that sub-national friendship and cooperation between China and Gauteng and the Free State, which are the consulate’s consular districts, has yielded new results in various fields. Amity between people holds the key to the relationship between countries.”

Pan added that his consulate will spare no efforts to further engage with people across Gauteng and the Free State, from all sectors.

The Chinese diplomat also saluted the Gauteng provincial authorities represented by Mosupyoe for the “continuous and valuable support”.

“Both China and South Africa attach great importance to education. Nelson Mandela once said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’. We firmly believe education makes a difference to individuals, to the communities and to the nations,” said Pan.

He highlighted that the Consulate General of China in Joburg has undertaken the annual “Driving Education Culture” competition and has carried out a series of activities in collaboration with local governments, universities and schools, communities and other partners with the aim of fostering a caring and enabling environment for education from the whole society.

“To celebrate Youth Month (June), we will be hosting a short video competition to select China-South Africa learner correspondents. All students of Progress Comprehensive High School are warmly invited to participate,” he said.

Touching on international affairs, Pan said the world today is far from being tranquil. 

“Humanity is faced with so many common challenges in their endeavor of both peace and development. We are living in a global village and are one community with a shared future. We need to join hand in hand to move forward. The world needs cooperation instead of confrontation,” he said.

“China opens its arms to the world, opens its arms to you. I encourage you to know more and better about China, and China-South Africa relationship, and become envoys in the future of carrying on China-SA friendship. The Consulate will continue to spare no efforts to engage with you all for a closer bond of our two countries and people.”

The donation event on Monday was also attended by chairperson of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature’s committee on the scrutiny of subordinate legislation, Matshidiso Mfikoe; chairperson of the School Governing Body (SGB), Samson Marshall; principal of Progress Comprehensive High School, Caroline Monageng; officials from the Consulate General of China in Johannesburg.

Several members of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, educators, learners, and parents also attended the event. 

On the other hand, Speaker Mosupyoe told the gathering that the school equipment donated by the Chinese will make a difference in the community.

“We gather here not only to mark the handover of much-needed educational resources, but also to celebrate the spirit of partnership and solidarity that rise above borders,” she said.

“Allow me to begin by expressing our sincere appreciation to the Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Johannesburg, and your esteemed office, for this generous donation of R250,000 worth of educational support equipment and furniture.

“This act of goodwill is not just a gift to the learners of Progress Comprehensive High School, it is an investment in South Africa’s future,” said Mosupyoe.

She added that the collaboration comes at a critical time when schools in townships, particularly in communities like Pimville, Soweto, face mounting challenges, from under-resourced classrooms to infrastructural backlogs. 

“In stepping forward, the Chinese Consulate has shown what true partnership looks like, responsive, practical, and people centred. As the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, we are committed to ensuring that every child has access to a quality, dignified learning environment, no matter where they are born or raised,” said Mosupyoe.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

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