Social and Economic Development s

• Free health care was provided for pregnancy and children and free school meals for 5 million children.
• In an effort to tackle low levels of literacy, SA spent over 20% of its budget on education, more than any other sector.
• The ANC created widespread accessible education. The significant investments in education had slowly closed the educational gap between black and white South Africans.
• Black African enrolment in higher education had nearly doubled, and continues to grow faster than overall higher education growth.
• Many of the difference created by Apartheid still remain in South Africa. Income inequality has worsened since 1994.
• Between 1991 and 1996, the white middle class grew by 15% while the black middle class grew by 78%, yet poverty in South Africa is still largely experienced by the black population.
• 47% of South Africans are impoverished. The number of people living on less than £1.50 a day has doubled from 2 million in 1994 to 4 million in 2000.
• In 2000, 63% of black children lived in households earing less than 800 rand, compared to only 4% of white children.
• In 2000, 70% of South Africa's land was still owned by whites, despite the promises of the ANC to redistribute land.
• In 1996, the government set up the Growth, Employment and Redistribution Strategy (GEAR) to provide the resources for social welfare.
• The Ministry of Finance outlined new plans aimed to impose stricter fiscal discipline.