Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe said the most effective way of eradicating poverty was by encouraging young people to go to school and learn skills, SABC radio news reported.
Motlanthe was visiting Phillipstown near De Aar in the Northern Cape as part of his assessment of the War on Poverty programme.
He said a number of young people in the area who dropped out of school, had been identified and said when it came to education, immediate intervention was needed.
The children had to be taken back to school after the winter holidays.
An educated society was the key to winning the battle against poverty, Motlanthe said.
He also visited a number of impoverished households including the one of 51-year-old Marie Gqooqo.
Her poverty stricken lifestyle caught Motlanthe's attention and he arranged for immediate intervention.
The Gqooqo family was immediately provided with food parcels, blankets and mattresses.
The provincial government promised Motlanthe that the family would be provided with a house by next year.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 
