Youth Day Celebrations
Today’s Youth Day – when South Africa remembers the young people who lost their lives in the Soweto riots of 1976, fighting against Apartheid and Bantu Education. President Jacob Zuma’s speech at the National Youth Day celebrations at Thulamahashe, Mpumalanga Province is printed in full below (with the best bits in bold for your easy […]
Today’s Youth Day – when South Africa remembers the young people who lost their lives in the Soweto riots of 1976, fighting against Apartheid and Bantu Education.
President Jacob Zuma’s speech at the National Youth Day celebrations at Thulamahashe, Mpumalanga Province is printed in full below (with the best bits in bold for your easy reference!).
Theme: Working together for youth development through action
It is once more an honour to address you on this important day, which marks the 34th anniversary of the 1976 youth protest.
Quite fittingly, with Bafana Bafana making us proud in their dazzling opening encounter with Mexico last week, this is indeed a good day and a wonderful period in our country; so good day to you all!
South Africans have displayed amazing patriotism and national pride, and have received visitors warmly and hospitably. They have made us proud as government.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is so successful because of the support of our people.
After all, the struggle of the youth was in a large measure, all about realizing these opportunities and possibilities.
I thank the youth who have volunteered in this tournament for various kinds of activities geared towards the success of the event.
Esteemed guests;
In 2009, at its 65th Plenary Meeting, the UN General Assembly, through Proclamation 64/134 of 2010, declared this year the International Year of Youth, emphasizing Dialogue and Mutual Understanding.
This proclamation was borne out of the realization that the way the challenges facing youth are addressed presently, have a great bearing on them as they are the future.
Therefore governments in member countries are expected to intensify sustainable programmes and strategies to develop the youth in their countries as another crucial dimension towards realizing the Millennium Development Goals.
Similarly, the World Development Report of 2007 challenges us to develop and broaden opportunities for the youth, as well as to develop their skills to optimize such opportunities.
It also expects of us to create an enabling environment for their self affirmation and expression, so that they develop all aspects, physical, intellectual as well as personal and social, to participate meaningfully in the society as fully developed citizens.
In this country, June is the month of the youth. It is the month in which the youth of this country changed the course of history in that fateful protest against apartheid education on June 16, 1976.
Among its many political ramifications, the protest injected fresh momentum to the struggle, both within and outside the country, as the youth swelled the ranks of the exiled political activists outside South Africa.
So quite befittingly, this month and this day belong to the youth of this country across the wide range of political spectrum.
It is the month in which our youth put down an ineradicable stamp in the history of this country, braving all odds to fight for equal education for all.
And in the same spirit, the gains that have been made through democracy should therefore accrue to them all.
This event is about all the youth of South Africa, regardless of race and class and no one should feel discriminated, neither should there be anyone who undermines our collective efforts to improve the youth of this country.
It is important also, to evoke this poignant reminder that today in our struggle calendar as Africans, marks the 50th anniversary of what is known as the Mueda Massacre in north eastern Mozambique, then also known as Portuguese East Africa.
It was during this day that more than 600 Mozambicans were killed at the Mueda town square during a demonstration, demanding independence from Portugal.
This ugly turn of events subsequently fuelled momentum to the Mozambican War of Independence, led by the FRELIMO, which stretched from 1964 to 1975.
Therefore this day has strong regional resonance as well, and we have to understand that these indelible scars are borne by our neighbors as well.
Ladies and gentlemen;
We said that this is the year of the youth, and therefore it is proper as a country to mark the progress which we have registered in their issues.
This, in my humble view, is a fitting tribute to the youth of 1976, to indicate that despite our various challenges, we are making an incremental impact on issues that affect them.
It is important to us as government to ensure that the youth reap the benefits of democracy as well as all constitutional rights as citizens of this country.
We have to continue to work hard to create opportunities where they can realise their dreams and aspirations.
On this note, I wish to remind all of you gathered here that we launched the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) last year to integrate our youth to participate in the economy and all aspects of the society, including government.
This agency was among others tasked with the development of the National Youth Policy of 2009-2014, which culminated among others into the Integrated Youth Development and Strategy.
This strategy aims to integrate the youth of this country within government and other spheres outside government.
Today the National Youth Development Agency commemorates its first anniversary. The Youth Month programme was unveiled at the beginning of this month, to show how the government interacts with the youth in bringing services closer to them this month and beyond.
It is important therefore to reflect on progress registered in advancing the development of the youth in this country.
Most notably the NYDA has adopted eight Key Performance Areas (KPAs) in order to map and monitor the development of the youth over time. These include:
* Economic Participation,
* Education and Skills Development
* Effective and Efficient Resource Management
* Information Services and Communications
* National Youth Service
* Policy, Lobby and Advocacy
* Research
* Monitoring and Evaluation and Social Cohesion.
Regarding economic participation, more than 30 000 jobs were created for young people through the intervention of the NYDA.
In addition, more than 4000 business support vouchers were issued to young entrepreneurs; to allow them access to key business development support services such as business plan development and tendering support
The NYDA has also helped improve access of the youth to funds. About 7000 loans, amounting to 23 million rand were disbursed to microfinance enterprises.
More than three million rand was also given out to the Small and Medium Enterprises.
Significant strides have also been made in advancing education and skills development. About 40 000 beneficiaries were enrolled in skills development and community service for the current financial year.
The National Youth Service programme has enrolled 16,000 young people in several projects.
Most recently, in the 2010-2011 financial year, young volunteers built 76 houses, symbolising the year 1976, for indigent families in Ivory Park, Gauteng as part of the Youth Month celebrations.
They are also planning to build 34 houses, symbolising 34 years since 1976 in Mpumalanga and refurbish selected schools in all nine provinces during Youth Month.
These projects are continually monitored and evaluated to ensure their effectiveness.
Access to information and to the NYDA by the youth is also essential and it is commendable that more than 150 000 youth were provided with information on products and services through the NYDA branches.
The NYDA therefore should move quickly to establish branches in all parts of the country to increase access to its services. I am glad that this has had a positive reception as well, with one office recently opened in rural Flagstaff in the Eastern Cape.
Also, the NYDA’s plan to establish Provincial Advisory Boards and structures in all the provinces will improve its services.
Much more heartening is their bias towards young women and the disabled in their projects.
I also commend the NYDA for giving brand new bicycles to 100 disadvantaged learners in KwaZulu-Natal, through the “Ride to School Bicycle Project.”
Through the NYDA advocacy, an Inter-Departmental Committee on Youth Affairs adopted the guidelines on the establishment of Youth Directorates in government departments.
Some departments have already begun filling the positions related to the affairs of the youth. A presentation has also been made to the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) programme on needs of young people.
We are impressed by the plans of the NYDA going forward, with regards to fighting poverty through broadening economic participation.
The agency plans to make interventions to create more than 17 000 new jobs and support about 15 000 young entrepreneurs, as well as procure more than 11 million rand worth of loans for these young emerging business people.
Skills development is also one government’s key priorities and it is heartening to see that the youth have come fully on board in this regard as well.
They plan to facilitate enrolment of more than 55 000 youth in different skills development opportunities, a further 2000 of them to upgrade their matric results, and make interventions to provide career guidance to 800 000 of them.
In addition, the NYDA plans to engage 50 000 young people in the National Youth Service Programme, and help establish at least 86 cooperatives in KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Free State.
It is also commendable that the NYDA is also set to continue promoting the culture of volunteerism that has been so integral not only to the fight for democracy in this country, but to its consolidation as well.
Through its continual research, monitoring and evaluation, the NYDA should be able to make proper situational analysis in order to influence policies that will improve the lives of young people.
I also hope that they will live up to the bold customer satisfaction targets that they have set and that they will continue to broaden the reach of their constituency.
Ladies and gentlemen;
We must not forget the commanding significance of June 16 1976 to the liberation of this country. Neither should we forget the role that the youth played in the history, and which they still need to play in the future of this country.
It is therefore very much distressing to see people still burning schools and other facilities, as they did recently in Ganyesa in the North West Province.
It is still baffling as to why someone would torch down a clinic because they do not have a school or destroy a library because the water taps have run dry.
Let us understand that it is much easier to destroy than to build, and that every facility is an investment for future generations.
I appeal to our youth to be vigilant against these criminal elements.
Lastly, esteemed youth of our country;
It is important to continue to rally behind the activities of the youth, and for the NYDA to reach all the sections of the youth population everywhere in this country.
Thank you for the support that you have been giving to the World Cup tournament, and please continue to cheer up our national team, Bafana Bafana.
Tonight they take on Uruguay. You are the 12th man on the pitch as South Africans. Our resounding support keeps the team going and makes them succeed.
I wish all youth all of the best as you chart the future forward.
I thank you!