LIMPOPO SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT STEPS UP SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES FACING POVERTY AND HUNGER

By DSD News
•⁠ ⁠The Limpopo Department of Social Development will mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty at Ngwenani ya Themeli village in the Thulamela Local Municipality.
•⁠ ⁠Residents of the host village will receive gardening tools and food parcels to meet immediate needs and support longer-term food security.
•⁠ ⁠The province’s poverty rate has fallen to about 47.6 percent, from earlier estimates of between 60 and 75 percent, with social grants and government programmes credited for the progress.

The Limpopo Department of Social Development will reaffirm its commitment to fighting poverty and hunger when it marks the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Saturday, 17 October 2026.

The United Nations General Assembly established the day in 1992. Each year it calls on countries and communities to step up efforts to end poverty and destitution. This year’s commemoration is held under the theme “Ending social and institutional maltreatment by ensuring respect and effective support for families.”

The provincial event will take place at Ngwenani ya Themeli village in the Thulamela Local Municipality. After profiling the village, the department will provide residents with gardening tools and food parcels. The support is meant to meet immediate needs while encouraging households to grow their own food over the long term.

Poverty remains a serious challenge for many households in Limpopo. However, the provincial poverty rate has dropped to about 47.6 percent, down from earlier estimates of between 60 and 75 percent. Social grants and government support programmes have contributed to this decline, although much work remains to help families build secure and sustainable livelihoods.

The department’s work is guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 1, which aims to end poverty in all its forms everywhere, and Goal 2, which aims to end hunger.

Limpopo MEC for Social Development, Florence Radzilani, said the day was an important opportunity for the department to renew its commitment to people living in poverty.
“The seventh administration has declared poverty enemy number one in Limpopo. This commemoration gives us an important opportunity to direct government resources and support towards people and families facing hardship, and to help them move towards greater security and self-reliance,” said Radzilani.
“We are encouraged by the decline in poverty levels across the province, supported by policies and programmes aimed at addressing poverty. We will continue working to ensure that no community is left behind.”

The department has called on communities, partners and all spheres of government to work together to protect the dignity of families, strengthen local livelihoods and build a Limpopo free from poverty and hunger.