Chinese community joins S. Africans in marking Mandela Day by helping the poor

A child holds a placard during a walk to commemorate what would have been Nelson Mandela's 99th birthday in Cape Town, South Africa, July 18, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

CAPE TOWN - The Chinese community in Cape Town joined South Africans on Tuesday in marking the Nelson Mandela International Day by helping the poor.

The Chinese Community Police Forum (CCPF) in the Cape West Coast hosted a charity event by donating daily necessities to the elderly at a time when a cold front was raging in the region.

Blankets, food parcels and gifts were delivered to the senior people living in desolation in order to help them go through the chilly weather, organizers said.

In addition to members of the CCPF, representatives from the South African Border Police and the Saldanha Sea Border Women's League were also attending the event.

The event was part of a community outreach program in commemoration of the Nelson Mandela International Day, serving as a reminder for the lifetime of services Mandela had given to South Africa.

Captain Helgard Prince, Acting Commander of the West Coast Border Police, expressed his gratitude for the amount of love that the Chinese community has demonstrated for the local community.

He stated that the charity deed was admirable and greatly appreciated by the recipients.

Prince urged the Chinese community to strengthen the bond they have nurtured with the police and put their trust in South Africa's justice system.

"This will immensely help regional police departments to provide improved service delivery to the country in general," he said.

Zhiming Wu, Chairman of the CCPF, said the diplomatic relations between China and South Africa have reached historical heights in recent years in the form of comprehensive strategic partnership.

"Therefore, it is imperative that the Chinese community living in South Africa establishes a healthy relationship with the local society," he said.

By participating in community charity events, the Chinese community can immerse themselves into the local culture and truly become a member of the community they live in, Wu said.

Meanwhile, the Soong Ching Ling Foundation South Africa also organized a charity event, making a donation of household items like heaters, blankets and clothes to impoverished children living in the Thornton SOS Village.

These children have either been separated from their families because they are abused or they simply do not have a home to go to.

The Nelson Mandela International Day, which falls on July 18, is celebrated across the globe in honor of Mandela's birthday.

The United Nations launched the day on July 18, 2009 in recognition of the lifelong struggle against injustice of Mandela, South Africa's first democratically elected president.

This year's Mandela Day is observed under the theme "Action Against Poverty."

On this day, millions of people in South Africa and across the world spend 67 minutes of their time cleaning up the environment and doing community work for the good of others.

The 67 minutes symbolize the 67 years that Mandela spent fighting for social justice to make the world a better place.