The Ministry will appreciate guidance from this gathering on how a better balance can be achieved which will be in line with demographic realities and needs. Rising expectations and limited resources. I am aware that every stakeholder represented at this gathering today is involved with fundraising and struggling to survive to meet the pressing needs at grassroots level. I am also aware that great expectations exist that the government will be able to find the resources to meet the needs. South Africa has experienced declining economic growth rates over the past two decades and the average annual growth rate of Gross Domestic Product has fallen below population growth rates.
Unemployment is endemic and per capita income is decreasing.
This is the reality that we are faced with and in the short-term, welfare expenditure will probably increase gradually as the economy grows. The Government of National Unity is committed to meeting basic needs, but this can only take place in accordance with its means. However, since the welfare field is about poverty reduction and an investment in human capacity, the attention of the government and all South Africans must at all times be focused on this fact. The meeting of basic needs is a collective national responsibility, and together, I hope we will succeed in building a national spirit of mutual support and caring for each other's well-being, that is, a spirit of ubuntu.