Cape Town - Government's efforts to eradicate poverty will be extended to all sectors of the South African population and was not dependent on race.
This was the assurance from Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe who, on Thursday, was responding to a question in Parliament related to poverty among white people in South Africa.
Motlanthe was adamant that government's War on Poverty Campaign would reach out to people in dire need regardless of their race.
He said the poorest wards in the country had been identified through Stats SA's Provincial Poverty Index and households and families in these wards were eligible for government's programmes.
"Government attends to the needs of all its citizens regardless of race. Basic services were a constitutional right and there would no barrier based on skin colour to government's interventions to fight poverty.
"Wherever we find poverty we will tackle it," the Deputy President said.
Responding to a question on the unity post-World Cup, Motlanthe said government was seeking to capitalise on the positive mood that prevailed during the tournament.
Government was liaising with the International Marketing Council to conceptualise a programme aimed at building on the patriotism South Africans displayed when they united under the national flag, he added.
The aim of the programme would be to develop a sense of togetherness while at the same time celebrating unity in our diversity, he added.
"A campaign has already been developed and will be launched in coming weeks," Motlanthe said.
The Deputy President also applauded the efforts of the private sector, which had also initiated a campaign to keep the patriotic spirit going, encouraging more companies to follow suit.
The Lead SA initiative challenges ordinary South Africans to do the right thing on a daily basis and to counter the negative perceptions about the country.
The initiative by Primedia Broadcasting and Independent Newspapers encourages the public to celebrate the achievements of the country and also challenges citizens to take responsibility for the challenges.
