The province of Limpopo today hosted their provincial consultative African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) conference with the cross-cutting issue of poverty and inequality under review in Polokwane.
Government undertook a 15 year review of performance and found that the number of people living in poverty had been significantly reduced but inequality had increased. In 2008, government launched the "War on Poverty" campaign as one leg of a broader anti-poverty strategy.
Identified from the country review report as one of the nine cross-cutting issues that South Africa needed to strengthen on, the province took ownership of the matter seeking creative solutions to this challenge.
Delivering the keynote address, South Africa's APRM Focal Point and Public Service and Administration Minister, Mr Richard Baloyi celebrated the gains that the continent has witnessed due to this instrument.
"In working together with all our people and others on the continent, we have achieved a great measure of cohesion, unity, democracy and prosperity of the South African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union. We have also gone a long way in strengthening our capabilities to respond to the challenges that we face."
On the theme of the day, Minister Baloyi further added that "South Africa continues to improve the lives of the poor through various poverty eradication strategies which have made a tremendous impact on the lives of our people. However, we are the first to acknowledge that more still needs to be done."
The province of Limpopo was represented by MEC for Education, Mr Dickson Masemola.
For more information, contact:
Dumisani Nkwamba
Tel: 012 336 1704
Cell: 082 885 9448
Lebohang Mafokosi
Tel: 012 336 1017
Cell: 082 312 4641
Issued by: Department of Public Service and Administration
7 May 2010
