African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa says long-term government interventions are contributing to a gradual reduction in poverty levels in South Africa.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the ANC’s birthday gala dinner held in the North West province, where he referenced findings from the latest Statistics South Africa Poverty Trends report.
Notable decline
According to the report, poverty levels have shown a notable decline since 2006, despite periods of low economic growth and rising unemployment.
Cyril Ramaphosa attributed the improvement to what he described as pro-poor government policies, particularly sustained spending on social programmes.
“The decline in poverty levels over the last decade, even amid low economic growth and rising unemployment, has largely been due to the pro-poor policies of the ANC government,” Ramaphosa said.
Social support
He added that a significant portion of the national budget is directed toward social support.
“Out of a R2 trillion budget, 61% is spent on social projects and social welfare,” he said.
The president said these interventions form part of broader efforts to address inequality and improve living conditions for vulnerable communities.
