Parliament this morning launched its Youth Month programme for 2011 and has pledged to devote ongoing attention to issues affecting the youth for the duration of the fourth democratic Parliament’s term which ends in 2014.
About 50 youth attended the launch, drawn from youth formations of political parties represented in Parliament, the Congress of South African Students, the South African Students Congress, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and the Young Communist League.
To give effect to its commitment that the concerns of the youth become part of Parliament’s programme and go beyond specific activities during Youth Month in June every year - Parliament has established a steering committee of Members of Parliament (MPs).
Parliament’s activities to mark Youth Month in 2011 include:
- A debate by Parliament’s National Assembly on Wednesday, 8 June on the theme of “a caring Parliament that advances youth development to achieve economic freedom”. Youth from a number of formations will attend the debate.
- A visit by MPs to the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre in Faure to interact with youth at the facility.
- A visit by MPs to Johannesburg Prison to interact with youth in the prison.
Steering Committee Chairperson Mr Mduduzi Manana told journalists and youth representatives that Parliament would “adopt” the Western Cape Rehabilitation Centre in Faure for one year. That means that the committee and stakeholders will visit the centre once a quarter to monitor the progress around suggested interventions, report to Parliament on these oversight visits and engage the Executive. Similar oversight would be conducted around progress concerning the rehabilitation of youth in the Johannesburg Prison.
Institutions in other provinces would be identified in forthcoming years.
With the youth comprising about 50% of the South African population, Parliament is spearheading youth involvement in a number of campaigns, National Assembly House Chairperson Mr Cedric Frolick said.
These included the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 17) meeting on climate change which South Africa is hosting in Durban in December. Issues affecting the youth would be integrated into Parliament’s programme and not receive focus only during Youth Month, Mr Frolick said.
Source: Parliament of South Africa
