JOHANNESBURG, April 9 (Xinhua) -- South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile said Tuesday that the country has made significant strides in addressing socioeconomic inequalities through social welfare programs in housing, healthcare, education and social services.

"Over the past few decades, the South African government has taken significant steps to address historical injustices and strive toward achieving social cohesion and socioeconomic empowerment for all its citizens," said Mashatile when delivering a public lecture on the 30th anniversary of South Africa's democracy.

The implementation of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policies has promoted economic transformation, he said, adding that the policies' goal is to ensure that those who were marginalized become part of the mainstream economy.

"We are on track to accelerate land redistribution so that black South Africans now own around 25 percent of farmland and have supported 1,000 black industrialists in black-owned firms," Mashatile said, noting that South Africa has raised 1.5 trillion rands (about 81 billion U.S. dollars) in new investment commitments, of which more than 500 billion rands has already flowed into the economy.

Despite the achievements, challenges remain in achieving a more inclusive and equitable society, according to the deputy president. "The triple challenges of poverty, unemployment, and inequality, as well as corruption, continue to pose obstacles to the nation's progress. In addressing these challenges, we are conscious that, as government, we must strengthen social compacts by working together with all sectors of society," he said. Enditem

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