'Whites also hit by poverty'

2008-07-24 18:01

Johannesburg - The perception that there were no poor white people was a myth, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya said on Thursday.

Skweyiya, who was joined by ANC president Jacob Zuma and Tshwane mayor Gwen Ramokgopa, told a gathering of more than 1 000 poor white people in Bethlehem that government had come to see them and "simply to listen" to their concerns.

"There was a perception that there is no poor among the white people. This (large gathering) proves beyond a reasonable doubt that this a myth."

He said it was important for government at all levels to work with non governmental and non profit organisations to resolve the issue.

He gave his assurances - referring to the officials who were processing social grants at the event - that grants would be awarded to all South Africans who met the requirements, without discrimination.

After hearing from a number of people about their concerns which were mostly about municipal services, that government would interact with them on these and try to resolve them.

He said the rights of people who were destitute were provided for in the constitution.

These rights were inherited by the previous government, before 1994.

"Those rights cannot disappear. They are entrenched in the constitution and no government would be able to remove them."

In the wake of the ANC government these rights had been "stretched" to include provisions for black people.

"They have been stretched further to encompass black people who are all also suffering under the same conditions of unemployment and poverty," Skweyiya said.

Zuma echoed Skweyiya's commitment to resolving the issues faced by poor white people.

"I will play my part to ensure that those who are in government come here. This connection will never disappear. I will ask them every day what's happening (here)."

- SAPA