For decades, the black majority of the people of South Africa have lived under the oppressive and discriminatory conditions of apartheid. The doctrine of separateness has not only bitterly divided the nation, but also resulted in glaring disparities in the socio-economic situation. The mass poverty among the black population is perhaps the most striking feature of the South African society. Another seven million black people live in shacks. Forty-five per cent of the entire black population has not been taught to read or write.
Employment is a critical issue too.
There are between four and six million unemployed, most of them in their economically productive years. The tremendous disparities in the socio-economic sectors are a daily reminder that the past suffering and deprivation continue to be part of the present. We realize that the dismantling of a system which has been so deeply embedded in the state structure and society will be a very difficult task. It will be many years before the scars and legacy of apartheid will begin to fade. Despite these obvious difficulties, we must make some beginning, no matter how modest.