Hon Speaker and hon members, 3% growth is not enough to reduce poverty rapidly. We need considerably higher economic growth. This is why we have introduced the new growth path for public discussion and for implementation. Nevertheless, we are also well aware that even if we achieve higher levels of growth, this would not in itself be enough to eradicate poverty and inequality.
The key strategies to reduce inequality and poverty are to provide better quality education and health care and better infrastructure services in poor regions. These activities are at the top of our agenda. In addition, we need to improve the environment for investment by the private sector in labour-absorbing businesses.
Furthermore, government's plans to reduce poverty are spearheaded by the Comprehensive Anti-Poverty Strategy. This strategy has been used in the War on Poverty campaign to identify 1 128 of the most deprived urban and rural wards where poor households will be identified, their needs assessed, a database of their profiles developed, and their needs referred to government and its social partners for appropriate services to be delivered.
Beyond this, we have several well-known poverty-reduction initiatives. These include the social grant programmes, especially the child support grant, which are among the most comprehensive poverty alleviation programmes in any developing country. They are well designed and, largely, well administered. There are similar programmes in other middle-income developing countries like Mexico and Brazil, but in relation to the size of our gross domestic product and our population, ours is one of the very largest.
We also have the Expanded Public Works Programme and the Community Work Programme. The Expanded Public Works Programme has many elements including an infrastructure programme and environmental programmes. These programmes are well known.
The newest targeted programme is the Community Work Programme, CWP. Though it is a relatively new programme, it now reaches more than 100 settlements and more than a 100 000 people. We expect that the CWP will be one of our major tools to alleviate and, as far as possible, reduce poverty in our poorest settlements.
In order to realise the 3% or more growth, government has taken the following proactive steps: investment promotion, increasing productivity, promoting savings, and increasing spending both in the social and economic sectors. These are not only directed at achieving economic growth, but the direct spin-offs on poverty eradication are evident in the provision of basic services, human capital development and, most importantly, the creation of jobs. I thank you for your attention.
Hon Speaker, I must take this opportunity to thank the Deputy President for his comprehensive response to this question, which I believe is such a fundamental question on the situation that is currently facing the country.
Firstly, the recent research by Prof Bhorat, amongst others, suggests that South Africa is a 45%:55% society, 45% being the people who are poor. That is the extent of the challenge that is facing the country. Secondly, in terms of accepting all the initiatives that the Deputy President has referred to, we accept that the government cannot be the only player in trying to address this immense challenge. Therefore, is the Office of the Deputy President prepared to lead the campaign of mobilising, particularly civil society, NGOs, and churches in particular as in the past? Thank you. [Time expired.]
Well, indeed, all of government, right from the President, has a preparedness to mobilise all sectors of the South African population in addressing the challenge of growing the economy in order to address these stubborn problems of poverty and unemployment. We are prepared. In fact, a week ago the President met with the captains of industries, under Busa, Business Unity SA, to discuss means and ways of growing the economy, because it is only once we succeed in growing the economy that we will be able to address problems of poverty and unemployment. Thank you.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Mr Deputy President, government has declared that the eradication of poverty must happen via economic growth and job creation. The President has stated that the new growth path will be the catalyst to create five million additional jobs by 2020, and that job creation among the youth will be of specific and very high strategic importance.
Mr Deputy President, in the 2011 Budget, R1,22 billion was allocated to the National Youth Development Agency, NYDA, over the next three years to facilitate job creation among the youth. Could you please tell us in what way the National Youth Development Agency will facilitate this? Also, how many additional jobs have been set as their target which will contribute to the eradication of poverty and the creation of additional jobs? Thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon Marais, unfortunately that was a new question. The NYDA is under the supervision of the Minister in the Presidency for Performance Monitoring and Evaluation as well as Administration in the Presidency. I am not in a position, unfortunately, to give you any details about the plans of the NYDA. Thank you very much.
Thank you, hon Speaker, and I thank the hon Deputy President for his responses. Could His Excellency the Deputy President brief the House on what the government is doing or planning to do to address the apartheid spatial development patterns that still exist and that undermine developmental initiatives that he referred to in the rural areas, especially in the previous Bantustan areas? Thank you.
Hon Speaker and hon members, the challenges of underdevelopment in parts of our country, particularly those that were designated former homelands, are those that can best be addressed through social and economic infrastructure development. As the Minister of Finance has announced that over the next three years there would be R800 billion available for infrastructure development, we should deliberate about it and aim to close the gap between urban and rural areas with regard to bulk infrastructure. That is the only way to address this challenge, because most municipalities in those areas do not have any tax base to fall back on and that is why it has to be a task that we tackle jointly from the national, provincial and local levels. Thank you.
Deputy President, in the areas that the government is targeting, how are the specific needs of women being prioritised and are they adequately budgeted for? Thanks.
Well, the issues of women are budgeted for and taken care of throughout all the government departments. There is even a Ministry to co-ordinate all those efforts to ensure that none of the other departments and Ministries lose sight of this important area of work, because, as we all know, women bear the brunt of unemployment and poverty. Women also, in the majority of cases, take responsibility for extended families. That is why this has to be mainstreamed and co-ordinated by a dedicated lead Ministry. Thank you.
Government's distribution of funds to women, youth and people with physical disabilities
4. Ms A C Mashishi (ANC) asked the Deputy President:
(1) With reference to the statements by the President and the Minister of Finance on job creation (details furnished), what is the readiness of the Government's distribution of funds to women, youth and people with physical disabilities;
(2) whether the provinces will receive an equal share of funding on women, youth and people with physical disabilities; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?