I will use the rest of my life to help the poor overcome the problems confronting them - poverty is the greatest challenge facing humanity. That is why I build schools; I want to free people from poverty and illiteracy.

Today they say that we are free, only to be chained in poverty.

As long as many of our people still live in utter poverty, as long as children still live under plastic covers, as long as many of our people are still without jobs, no South African should rest and wallow in the joy of freedom.

There is little favorable to be said about poverty, but it was often an incubator of true friendship.

There are many people in South Africa who are rich and who can share those riches with those not so fortunate who have not been able to conquer poverty.

We now undertake that we cannot rest while millions of our people suffer the pain and indignity of poverty in all its forms.