In an effort to take part in speeding up the South African government’s service delivery, deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe was today pushing wheelbarrows and laying foundations for Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses in Jacobsdal.

Motlanthe visited the poor Free State town to check on the progress made since the launch of the war on poverty campaign. Motlanthe, flanked by Ministers helped with the building of 66-year-old Elizabeth Magada's home. Magada stays with four of her grandchildren, some are AIDS orphanes. 

Housing is just one of the problems in the community, as residents say they struggle with access to clinics. Motlanthe also revisited homes selected as case studies for a pilot project aimed at ending grant dependency. The project identifies and helps individuals in poor households to either return to school or find a job. 

The project is expected to be rolled out countrywide and Motlanthe says the state believes such a project is the only way to fight poverty. He is of the opinion that such an approach will force people to help themselves out of poverty.