| SA-China People's Friendship Association | |
| Location: | 6 Floor, Sandton City Office Tower, Sandton, 2146, Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Area Served: | South Africa |
SA-China People's Friendship Association (SACPFA) is the only people's association for friendship with China in South Africa. SACPFA was founded in Johannesburg, South Africa on March 21, 2013.[1] Also, its branches cover Cape Town[2] in South Africa, Shanghai and Beijing in China.
Its aims are to improve mutual understanding and trust, promote exchange and cooperation between the people of South Africa and China, maintain world peace and promote common development. SACPFA is committed to carrying out all-round, multi-level, wild-ranging friendly exchange between the people of both countries, and enhancing economic cooperation and cultural exchange.
The highest organ of authority of the Association is its Members' Representative Assembly, which has a term of five years.
The committee is the executive organ of the Members’ Representative Assembly, which carries out the daily work of the Association and will account to the Members' Representative Assembly. The term of each Committee is five years and at least one committee session shall be convened every year.
The Committee may invite prominent figures to be the Honorary Committee Members.
Nomvula Mokonyane
Minister of Water and sanitation in the cabinet of South Africa, former Premier of Gauteng province, and in the African National Congress (ANC) National Working Committee
Elias Sekgobelo Magashule[3]
Premier of Free State province, Provincial Chairperson of the ANC in the Free State, and in the ANC National Working Committee
Marius Fransman[4]
Deputy Minister of the DIRCO
Jerry Matthews Matjila[5]
Director General of the DIRCO
Anil Sooklal[6]
Deputy Director-General of Asia and Middle East of the DIRCO
Liu GuijinChina's former ambassador in South Africa and the first Special Representative of the Chinese government in Africa.
The Executive Committee consists of the President, the Executive President, the Directors of each Department and the Secretary-General. They preside over the daily work of the Association.
President: Manne Dipico
Executive President: Tom Cao[7]
Secretary General: Eddy Maloka[8]
Director of Organization Department: Zhang Zhengdi
Director of Culture Department: Keorapetse Kgositsile
Director of Social Relations Department: Mark Wang
Director of Corporate Department: Bian Dequan
Legal Advisor: Ajay Sooklal
President of Cape Town Branch: Allie Baderoen
The Secretariat is a department of the Executive Committee that manages the daily work and executes the resolutions of Association. It consists of the Secretary General, Deputy Secretary General, and other staff. The current Secretary General is Eddy Maloka.[8]
On March 21, 2013, SACPFA was launched in Johannesburg, which turns a new page in the history of the non-governmental diplomacy between South Africa and China. The launch ceremony was succeeded by the first session of the first Committee along with the association who discussed and examined its guiding policies and plans for the future.
The launch of SACPFA is a part of a serial celebration of the 15th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Africa and China as well as the BRICS summit taking place in late March.
On March 26, 2013, Manne Dipico, the President of SACPFA, and Li Xiaolin, the President of the Chinese People's Association for friendship with foreign countries (CPAFFC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The signing of this MOU was the first of its kind as it was witnessed by the President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma and the President of China, Xi Jinping, who is in South Africa on a State visit for the 5th BRICS summit in Durban.
On July 16, 2013, SACPFA Cape Town Branch was launched. The first President of the Cape Town Branch is Allie Baderoen.[11] [12]
Since its launch, SACPFA has established good and cooperative relations with friendship associations from both China and South Africa.