POLOKWANE – After being restricted for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was time for members of the Portugal Embassy to host a dinner in Polokwane.
Portuguese Embassy ambassador Manuel Carvalho said they al happy to finally meet with the Portuguese residents in Polokwane and welcomed them to the Polokwane Golf Club on July 29.
“It had to wait two years before I could travel here and express how crucial it is to understand how Portuguese people live in South Africa. I want to determine how we can help and this evening provides an opportunity to discuss different viewpoints with local officials as well as representatives from the Portuguese Embassy.”
According to Carvalho, they hosted the dinner to reunite the Portuguese society, to discuss issues they might face and to see how the embassy can work together with the local authorities.
He explained how important it is to have such gatherings to remind Portuguese South African residents that they will never walk alone, wherever they may find themselves across the country.
The goal of the occasion was to encourage residents to embrace their Portuguese heritage as much as they embrace their South African culture, as they live among other South Africans each with their own special histories.
Polokwane Municipality council representative Cllr Joosuf Pemma added that to work with the embassy helps to regain a sense of the reality of the issues people face.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to discuss our viewpoints with the embassy and determine how we can best support one another. It is good to see more Portuguese communities unite and know that they have the support of both the regional government and the Portuguese embassy.”
