Poverty is one of the biggest challenges facing the majority of South Africans and it does not discriminate according to racial lines, African National Congress president Jacob Zuma said on Thursday.
He was addressing a gathering of more than 1 000 poor white Pretoria residents in the city's Bethlehem settlement.
On what he referred to as a historic day, Zuma, flanked by Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya and Tshwane mayor Gwen Ramokgopa, told the people that the government is committed to hearing and resolving their plight.
Zuma: I didn't know there were poor whites - Mail & Guardian Online: The smart news source
I am really glad that he has had this revelation. No, really, I am. It is probably about time that the rest of South Africa realises that it is not just black people who have been suffering.
The perception still exists that all white people are rich, and we got everything we have pasella, for free. Of course, a lot of us were born into privilege, or had opportunities presented to us, back then, because of the colour of our skins.
But I distinctly remember, even as a child, driving past the kids from the wrong side of the tracks, selling newspapers at all times of the day, to support a family of 6. Poverty was even prevalent among white people during the Apartheid years.
But the fact remains that white poverty is growing. In fact, poverty in general is growing. The poor get poorer by the day, while the fat cats sit and lick their chops in their ivory towers. Maybe it is a good thing JZ is seeing a different side of the coin – but I still don’t trust him. He is too eager to say what he thinks people want to hear, and I am not sure he can deliver on his promises. Especially not if he is ruling from jail, as the ANCYL seems to think he would do.
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