Ramaphosa claims ANC lifted South Africans out of poverty
President Cyril Ramaphosa made a bold statement during a Human Rights Day celebrations where he claimed the ANC has empowered South Africans.
To commemorate this year’s Human Rights Day, President Cyril Ramaphosa says millions of South Africans have been lifted out of generational poverty left by the apartheid government.
He said that despite the high unemployment rate, the number of South Africans employed has more than doubled in the last 30 years, and more families have proper houses and electricity.
APARTHEID INFLICTED POVERTY BEING IS ADDRESSED
“Eight out of every ten households have proper housing. Nine out of every ten homes have electricity and access to clean drinking water,” said Ramaphosa during his address at the national commemoration of Human Rights Day held in Sharpeville.
He said many South Africans were subjected to poverty as a result of the apartheid system that had dispossessed and taken away their assets that would have been passed down from generation to generation.
He said that since 1994, the democratic government has done everything in its power to dismantle the apartheid government’s system. The Independent Online reported that Ramaphosa said this was possible because the government focused on correcting past injustices and meeting the needs of the poor and excluded.
BLACK PEOPLE NOW HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WORK – RAMAPHOSA
“We have provided social grants for children, the elderly, and people with disability and have recently introduced a special social relief of distress grant for unemployed people,” he said.
“Government provides free daily meals to millions of school children, has expanded the number of fee-free schools, and has massively increased funding for students from poor and working-class families to attend universities and colleges,” Ramaphosa added.
He said, in addition, the economy had also improved, and more people had been able to exercise the right to choose their trade, occupation, or profession freely. “The proportion of executive management positions held by black people increased almost five-fold between 1996 and 2016,” Ramaphosa said.
HUMAN RIGHTS MONTH FOR COMMEMORATION OF SHARPVILLE MASSACRE
Human Rights Month is commemorated to remind South Africans about the sacrifices that accompanied the struggle for the attainment of democracy in South Africa.
It also commemorates the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, where peaceful protestors marching against discriminatory pass laws were fatally shot by the apartheid police, and others were wounded.
“The hosting of the event in Sharpeville symbolises the government’s commitment to honour the sacrifices made by those who fought and died for our liberation in Sharpeville and other communities throughout South Africa,” the Presidency said according to SA news.