Durban, June 09: Emphasising the need for closing the gap between the rich and the poor in the country, South African President Jacob Zuma warned that if poverty was ignored it would be a risky situation.
“If that happens you are certainly sitting on a situation that will explode one day,” he said.
Mr Zuma said that before the financial crisis began affecting South Africa, the economy was growing but the poverty levels were deepening.
“If the economy was growing then it should benefit the people of the country. But this did not happen. Something must be done to address the problem,” he said.
Mr Zuma, who was only elected last month after a fraud and corruption charge against him was withdrawn, was speaking in an interview on the national broadcaster SABC.
–PTI–