Representative Anthony C.Y. Ho hosted the launch ceremony of the newly-founded South Africa-Taiwan Amity Association (SATAA) at the Taipei Liaison Office on May 17, 2022. Major General (Rtd) A.M. Sibango, Founder and Chairperson of SATAA, Mr. P.J. Weyers, Co-Founder and Vice Chairperson of SATAA and incumbent President Emeritus of the South African Air Force Association (SAAFA), and about 40 founding members attended the ceremony.
On behalf of SATAA, Chairperson Sibango and Vice Chairperson Weyers presented two letters to Representative Ho, expressing SATAA’s support for Taiwan’s participation in this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA). One of the letters is addressed to Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Dr. Joseph Jaushieh Wu and the other addressed to Taiwan’s National Defense Minister General Kuo-Cheng Chiu.
In his remarks, Representative Ho said the launch of SATAA symbolizes an important milestone for South Africa-Taiwan relations. South Africa and Taiwan enjoy long-standing friendship and share universal values of democracy, freedom and human rights. The physical distance does not set the two countries apart. Instead, the two countries work closely in the areas of agriculture, economy, education, technology and tourism.
Although Taiwan has been threatened and oppressed by PRC for more than 70 years, Taiwan never stepped back. Instead, Taiwan stands firm in safeguarding its fundamental values of democracy, freedom and human rights, and continues to develop its economic capacity. Taiwan’s achievement of democratization and economic developments are widely recognized as the “Taiwan Miracle.”
It’s a pity that Taiwan has been excluded from many international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO). Nevertheless, Taiwan continues to make substantial contributions to the international community and always extends a helping hand to our international friends when they are in need. With the unwavering support from the SATAA, Representative Ho believes the shared values of the two countries will forge a shared vision, which will lead to the shared victory of both parties.
Chairperson Sibango is a loyal friend to Taiwan. He had the opportunity of visiting Taiwan in 1990, when he joined an exchange program and received army training in Kaohsiung. He was glad to know that Taiwan’s Defense Minister General Chiu was also in an exchange program where he received military training in the Defense Staff College in South Africa in 1992. Chairperson believes people in both countries greatly benefit from exchange programs of this kind and hope SATAA will help strengthen the bilateral relations in many more areas.
Vice Chairperson Weyers admired Taiwan’s achievement in public health and medicine, including its control of Covid-19. He praised Taiwan’s contributions to the international society and the humanitarian aid Taiwan gave to Ukraine. He will continue to encourage more and more members of SAAFA to join SATAA.
The launch of SATAA is the first time in recent years that a newly-established association is founded based on its support for and friendship with Taiwan.
