Premier and SA Taiwanese Distribute 36 Tons of Rice, blankets, Sugar and Oil

More than 900 needy families in the Atlantis area today received packages of rice, blankets, sugar and cooking oil at a hand-over ceremony at the Atlantis Multi-Purpose Community Centre. Addressing the families at the event, Western Cape Premier, Marthinus van Schalkwyk said: "This generous donation of essential food and blankets comes at a very necessary time, when many of our poorest communities are struggling with cold temperatures, long periods of rain, and many of the worst effects of poverty."

The food and blankets were part of a larger donation made to the people of the Western Cape by the Cape Town branch of the Tzu Chi Foundation and the Taiwanese community of Cape Town. The 36 metric tons of rice, 1800 blankets, sugar and cooking oil were made available to the Western Cape Provincial Government for further distribution. Recipients most in need were identified by the Provincial Departments of Social Services & Poverty Alleviation, and Agriculture. A further 900 families in Khayelitsha will receive the balance of the donation on Friday this week.

Premier Van Schalkwyk was accompanied at the event by Western Cape Minister for Social Services and Poverty Alleviation, Marius Fransman, and the Minister for Agriculture, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Johan Gelderblom. Also present was the Director General of the Taipei Liaison Office in Cape Town, Mr Tim Yang and representatives of the Tzu-Chi Foundation.

"This gesture of friendship today follows the handover in June of wheelchairs, crutches and other assistive devices which have already made a significant improvement to the lives of our disabled community in the province," said the Premier. "The links between the Western Cape, South Africa, and the people of Taiwan go much deeper though than these generous donations - it must be remembered that with more than 620 Taiwanese-owned companies, and more than US$1,5 billion invested in South Africa, our Taiwanese friends employ more than 41 000 South Africans. With so much of this investment concentrated in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal though, we will be working to bring more Taiwanese investment to the Cape."

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