South African Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana Friday called for assistance from China in areas of trade and economic growth.
Sources close to the minister told PANA here that in view of the invitation, Chinese trade and economic experts could be heading for South Africa shortly to lend some helping hands.
Mdladlana made the request during talks with his visiting Chinese counterpart, Tian Chengpin.
Under the arrangement, the Chinese experts from the Occupational Skills Testing Authority, South Africa’s Labour department’s opposite number, will share their experiences with local officials in areas of trade testing.
The Minister told his Chinese counterpart that poverty and unemployment were the biggest challenges facing South Africa at the moment.
“The rampant poverty, coupled by the high unemployment rate, are compounded by migration of people from neighbouring countries, with millions of Mozambicans and Zimbabweans all in the country in search of better job opportunities,” he said.
The visit of the Chinese Minister, heading a five-member delegation, followed a series of bilateral talks, covering trade and diplomatic relations between the two countries in the past 10 years.
Last year, South Africa’s top labour officials visited China on a fact-finding mission after Mdladlana’s earlier visit.
