SOCIETY 375

increased from 51 percent in 1994 to
78 percent in 2018. While in 1994, only
51 percent of South Africans could
read and write, now the number has
increased to 94.3. With effect from
2018, South Africa introduced free
higher education for students from
the disadvantaged background. The
strategic objective of our government
in the field of housing is to address a
huge housing backlog bequeathed by
the apartheid system and change the
apartheid spatial planning and human
settlements. This will be achieved
by transforming human settlements
in South Africa into equitable and
efficient spaces with citizens living in
close proximity to work with access to
social facilities and essential infrastructure.
Since 1994, our Government
has built 3.2 million free houses
benefitting over 14 million people from
poor disadvantaged communities.
Since the inception of democracy in
South Africa in 1994, our government
has introduced a range of measures
in order to create a better life for all
our people. The targeted groups in
this regard mainly included the older
people, the unemployed especially
the youth, children, women, people
with disabilities and people living in
poor areas. Over the past 25 years, the
government has provided 17.5 million
citizens from vulnerable groups with
social grants. With effect from January
this year, a minimum wage has been
introduced which will improve the lives
of over six million workers. Other measures
introduced included free primary
health care, no-fee paying schools,
housing and free basic services (water,
electricity and sanitation) to poor households.
Although these policies and
interventions have resulted in notable
gains in poverty reduction since 1994,
much more still needs to be done.
What are the steps taken against
corruption?
Our government has undertaken several
measures to root out corruption
in both the public and private sector.
Since he took over the presidency of
the Republic in February 2018, President
Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed
several commissions of inquiry to
probe allegations of corruption and
malfeasance in the public sector and
in state owned enterprises, investigate
the management and governance of
the State revenue collection agency
and probe the conduct of top officials
in the National Prosecuting Authority.
Some of these commissions have
already completed their work and
action has been taken against those
on the wrong. These commissions are
critical to ensuring that confidence in
public institutions is restored and that
those responsible for any wrongdoing
are identified and subjected to the full
might of the law.
You are celebrating the 25th anniversary
of the end of the apartheid regime.
How has South Africa changed
since then? What are the main results
in the fight against racism since the
abolition of apartheid?
Apartheid was predicated on the
ideology of racial domination and exploitation
of the black majority by the
white minority in South Africa. This
system was enforced by the State over
decades and became official government
policy. With the inception of
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