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State drive to assist poor families

TAKING STOCK: Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla, left, visits some of the poverty-stricken families during the province's launch of the anti-poverty campaign. 03/02/09. Pic. Alfred Moselakgomo. © Sowetan.
TAKING STOCK: Mpumalanga Premier Thabang Makwetla, left, visits some of the poverty-stricken families during the province's launch of the anti-poverty campaign. 03/02/09. Pic. Alfred Moselakgomo. © Sowetan.

Alfred Moselakgomo

Alfred Moselakgomo

More than 32 families - forced to go to bed without food because of poverty - are to benefit from an "anti-poverty war room" campaign that has been launched by the Mpumalanga government.

Authorities say the campaign, an initiative launched countrywide to provide a cushion to families living in hardship and having no gainful means of employment, will be gradually expanded to cover all poverty-stricken areas of the province.

Seven provinces have already launched their "anti-poverty war rooms", and Mpumalanga's campaign was launched at the weekend at Sikhwahlane in Nkomazi.

The launch started with a door-to-door visit in the morning and later a rally was held at the Sikhwahlane sports field.

Government spokesman, Ntime Skosana said the campaign would be coordinated by the province's department of social development.

"Nkomazi, Dr JS Moroka, Thembisile, Mkhonto, Bushbuckridge and Albert Luthuli municipalities will serve as priority areas for the roll-out of the programme," Skosana said.

"Community profiles of the identified areas have been compiled by the social development department working in collaboration with community workers," he added.

Skosana said the profiled households required support ranging from school uniforms, grants, food, housing, to healthcare.

According to the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy, 62percent of Mpumalanga's people live in abject poverty in female-headed, rural households.

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