104  Comprehensive rural development linked to land and agrarian reform and food security. Within this framework, government has developed and is implementing a comprehensive government-wide development strategy directing all its energy towards the achievement of these priorities according to principles aforementioned. However, structural distortions in the economy, weaknesses in the state and the global economic crisis are already acting as constraints to this process, resulting in lower than expected outcomes coming out year-onyear. The MTSF allows government to constantly adjust its plans and alter its activities to respond to this objective reality. The MTSF gives practical effect to the 2008 Anti-Poverty Strategy through which government explicitly spelt out decisive interventions to address the scourge of poverty. It also seeks to change the trajectory of the anti-poverty initiatives. It attempts to strengthen the resolve to reverse, and reduce the incidence of poverty as well as prevent the recurrence of poverty (or what is famously known as the ‘intergenerational transmission’ of poverty). Both the Anti-Poverty Strategy Discussion Document and the Third Country MDG Report note that South Africa has experienced a remarkable decline in poverty owing largely to a significant income transfer programme, massive reallocation of pro-poor expenditure, for example on housing, water, electricity and sanitation. Based on two essential measures, namely the proportion of the population who live below the thresholds of $1 up to $2.50 per day, and the poverty gap ratio, it is clear that the proportion of people experiencing absolute poverty has declined. Applying this measure, South Africa has reduced the population living below the poverty line of a $1 per day from 11.3% in 2000 to 5% by 200683. This figure has come down even more since 2006, although figures are not fully certain. The unfortunate reality, however, is that even during the reporting period, despite the progress made females are still disproportionately affected by poverty. According to the MDG Report, “whilst poverty has been halved for both males and females, the proportion of females living below $1 (PPP) per day remains high compared to that of males: 12.0% (females) and 10.0% (males) in 2000; and 5.3% (females) and 4.8% (males) in 2006. The same pattern is found when other poverty lines such as $1.25, $2, and $2.5 per day are used”84. When it comes to income distribution, available data shows that the average real incomes of South Africans have been increasing steadily for all population groups. The growth in per capita income has come both from wages through increased employment and social grants. Not only did individuals across the whole spectrum experience positive income growth but those at the very bottom of distribution experience a greater increase than those from the 30th to the 70th percentile. On the other hand, except for part of the period, income growth for the poor amongst Africans was not in general greater than that for the non-poor. In other words, overall, those at the top of the income distribution on average benefit more than 83 Millennium Development Goals Country Report, South Africa, p. 27. Ibid, pp-27-28. 84 104