Thank you, Mr Speaker and thank you, Deputy President, for your answer. It is exactly what I expected. However, as far as I am concerned, it is not necessarily what we are experiencing in practice out there, and that is what I want to take up with you.
The fact of the matter is that President Zuma visited an area around Pretoria called Wesmoot on 30 March. The President undertook to do certain investigations into the problems the people face there. It is now five months after the visit, and we have had nothing and no reply back from the Presidency. In that specific area, there are 5 000 whites living in informal housing; and in and around Pretoria, there are now more than 70 informal settlements where whites are residing.
The Bureau of Market Research indicated that there are more than 650 000 whites, 16 years and older, that have no income whatsoever. According to the Institute of Race Relations, there has been an increase of more than 95% in white poverty, and we have more than 430 000 poor whites at this stage.
The President says that government does not make any distinction, but in practice we see something different. There are certain projects where government departments get involved, like Social Development and Agriculture, for example, in Limpopo. But we are not aware of any projects from government's side in terms of what we experience in respect of white poverty.
Arising out of the hon Deputy President's reply, my question, basically, was whether the government is prepared to investigate this issue because it is becoming more and more serious. I want to ask again: Is government prepared that we investigate this issue and see what the actual facts are? Thank you.