Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the media.
Today we are launching the youth month programme, a month where we pay special tribute to the youth of South Africa. This is the month when the whole country should take stock of their contributions to youth development. Where they have not done enough they should make commitments and plans to remedy the situation and where they have made strides they should be commended on their contribution to the future success of South Africa.
This year we are not only marking the 36th anniversary of the Soweto and related Uprisings of 16 June 1976; we are also celebrating the third anniversary of the establishment of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). We also pay tribute and convey our appreciation to the first NYDA Board of Directors whose term has ended; these are the men and women that laid the foundation for what we now call the NYDA.
Since establishment the NYDA has worked to build a world-class youth development agency that adheres to good corporate governance principles. As a result the NYDA received unqualified audit opinions in both financial years since its establishment.
When the NYDA developed its strategic plan for the organisation it adopted eight Key Performance Areas (KPAs); Economic Participation, Education and Skills Development, Effective and Efficient Resources Management, Information Services and Communications, National Youth Service, Policy, Lobby and Advocacy, Research, Monitoring and Evaluation and Social Cohesion. The KPAs serve as a guideline as the NYDA tackles young people’s challenges.
Over the years the NYDA’s delivery record has been improving significantly leading to the organisation achieving 42 out of the 49 key performance indicators in the 2010/11 financial year thus scoring an 85% achievement. Other key achievements include:
The NYDA is available at 144 service delivery access points including with local municipalities, this is in response to the mandate from youth to ensure that the NYDA has presence in all areas where young people are found. These service delivery access points together with the NYDA call centre have provided over 1,5 million young people with information.
The NYDA has linked 2,354 young people with mentors, supported 5,277 young entrepreneurs with business development consultancy services vouchers and provided 49,341 young people with entrepreneurship training over the past two financial years. Furthermore over R60,4 million worth of loans were disbursed to young entrepreneurs. The NYDA has sourced business opportunities to the value of over R142,8 million for young entrepreneurs to access. Most recently the NYDA secured R50 million from Ithala Bank to establish the Imbewu Youth Loan Fund, which will support young entrepreneurs in KwaZulu-Natal.
An example of great work undertaken by the NYDA in entrepreneurship development is Till Thembi Innovations, a hats design and manufacturing company, solely owned by Thembi Matilda. Based in Tshwane’s Central Business District, the business employs five people. She says the business development support that she acquired from the NYDA has assisted in the businesses growth.
Very recently, in February 2012, the NYDA introduced the Ithubalentsha Micro Enterprise Programme that has been designed to address the high failure rate among start-up businesses through an integrated approach that involves; Identification and Technical Training, Entrepreneurship Training, Micro Enterprise Finance, Business Mentorship and Market Linkages. Tshilisanani Tshilamulele (21) is one of the first entrepreneurs to benefit from this programme. Tshilisanani, who is determined to make a mark in the entertainment industry, is the Managing Director of a company that recruits young models, workshops them and exposes them to the industry. He also offers digital printing, film and documentary directing, photography, videography and video editing services.
The NYDA aims to improve the matriculation results, provide the youth with life, technical and business skills, and also help them with career choices. To this effect the NYDA enrolled 2,039 learners on the matric rewrite project, provided career guidance and job preparedness training to over 446,588 and 17, 258 young people respectively.
Through the National Youth Service Programme young people are given an opportunity to serve their communities while gaining skills and experience. Over the past two years 84,205 young people were enrolled in the NYS programme. Since volunteers from the NYS Programme also respond to national emergencies, in 2011 the NYDA mobilised about 1,000 volunteers to respond to the Duduza Tornado Relief effort.
The NYDA also implements projects aimed at contributing to nation building and patriotism. Of note are the FIFA 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 Soccer World Cup volunteers programme where the NYDA recruited, trained and deployed over 4,000 and 18,048 young volunteers respectively across all host cities and stadiums in partnership with the Local Organising Committee.
The NYDA also contributes towards policy making, knowledge management and works to ensure that stakeholders in both the public and private sectors contribute and participate in youth development programmes. As such the NYDA has developed the Integrated Youth Development Strategy for South Africa, which is a co-coordinating tool, and a road map for all stakeholders in South Africa to integrate and mainstream youth development in their programmes.
The organisation has also developed the “The South African Youth Context: The Young Generation,” which provides a perspective on the status of youth in South Africa. The manuscript, which is a process towards the goal of developing the Status of Youth Report, covers issues relating to the key imperatives and areas identified in the National Youth Policy 2009-14 including economic participation and education and skills development. Both the Integrated Youth Development Strategy and the Status of the Youth Report will be presented to Parliament this year.
To augment its funds, the NYDA sources support from other organisations. To this end the NYDA secured 49 partnership agreements with national and provincial departments as well as municipalities in the 2010/11 financial year alone on the National Youth Service.
While the National Youth Development Agency has made great strides in meeting its mandate, more young people remain outside the NYDA statistics and the organisation needs additional resources and partnerships to decisively increase its reach.
On 16 June 1976 young people braved all odds to demand equal and quality education for all. These young people understood that education would eventually lead to social and economic liberation of all young people regardless of race. This month therefore belongs to all youth of this country regardless of race, creed and political affiliation.
To commemorate Youth Day and celebrate the youth of South Africa, the NYDA, in partnership with various partners including national Government, the Eastern Cape Provincial Government and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro has developed a national programme under the theme, “Together We Can Do More to Build Infrastructure and Fight Youth Unemployment, Poverty and Inequality.”
This theme is consistent with the struggles of all young people in South Africa, which are inequality, poverty and unemployment. It is consistent with the government’s commitment of meaningful economic transformation and inclusive growth towards the total eradication of poverty and towards the development of the South African community. Government declared the 2011 as the year of job creation through meaningful economic transformation and inclusive growth.
For the year 2012 and beyond, the focus remains on job creation however The President invited the nation to join government in a massive infrastructure development drive that is a bold effort to transform the economy, laying the basis for growth and jobs. This is a catalyst for youth empowerment and development opportunities. As such, the focus for this year’s Youth Month commemoration will be on infrastructure and fighting youth unemployment, poverty and inequality.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present following key events and activities that will be hosted during Youth Month:
From May young people in the Eastern Cape have been working to build four houses in partnership with the Department of Human Settlement for youth headed households under the subtheme, Youth in Human Settlement – Proud to Serve. The four houses will be handed over to the four families on 14 June 2012. The project is part of the plan to build 36 houses for youth households by the end of the financial year.
It is part of the NYDA’s National Youth Service programme where we, in partnership with government departments, provide youth with skills while they provide service for the benefit of communities in need. It is anticipated that the campaign will inculcate the spirit of volunteerism and nation building among youth. The success of this campaign depends on support from corporate South Africa, as we need their sponsorship in order to build the remaining 32 houses.
From 1 June till the end of the month, the NYDA with the support of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) will be travelling on a train with the aim of reaching youth in rural areas across the nine provinces of the country. This Youth Express Train, which will spend in the region of two days in each province, is intended to provide an open platform for promoting awareness, interactive dialogue and a provide assistance to young people.
NYDA outreach officers who will work to create awareness of the NYDA in rural areas and offer NYDA services will man the train. Various partners in the public, private and civil sectors will also be on board the Youth Express Train in order to create awareness about opportunities available to youth through their own youth-orientated programmes, products and services and educate youth.
The NYDA, through sponsors, will also set up Pop-Up Shops in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to support the Youth Express Train with dispensing NYDA information to peri-urban and urban based youth. These temporary structures will act as walk-in shops offering youth development products. The NYDA will set up a stall within the Pop-Up shop that will disperse information regarding the different NYDA programmes and initiatives.
The Pop-Up shops will also provide a platform for government and the private sector to present their youth development products and services and for youth to present their products and share their successes and challenges with other young people. The intention of this walk-in-shops, is to give youth the opportunity to exhibit and show-case their own products and services offering.
On 8 June we will be hosting learners from wide spectrum of Gauteng schools as part of the “My History Educational Tour” to Soweto in partnership with the National Department of Arts and Culture to ensure that youth understand and appreciate their history. This is a cultural history educational tour catering for in-school youth, the project educates learners about the activities that contributed to the June 16 related uprisings, takes learners to historical monuments in Soweto and educates them about their significance in the struggle for liberation in the country. This legacy education project, which was launched last year, contributes to social cohesion and nation building.
On 16 June all roads lead to the Wolfson Stadium in KwaZakhele in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape where the official commemoration programme will commence at 14h00. In line with the Youth Month, we will use the day to empower youth with information to help them in fighting youth unemployment, poverty and inequality through the Exhibitions Galore Youth Fair.
The Fair, which will be open from 10h00, will host various government departments and agencies, private institutions and non-Governmental organisations to educate and create awareness to youth on youth-orientated products, services and support; it will also include youth role models who are making a success of their lives.
Youth-owned enterprises from all over the country are encouraged to register to be part of this Fair, as a “Youth Hub” will be created to give youth an opportunity to showcase their own products and services offering. President Jacob Zuma will address young people on this important day of commemoration, empowerment and celebration. The other provinces will also commemorate this historic event before and on June 16.
We aim to close-off Youth Month in a spectacular fashion through an evening to honour youth who have made a success of their lives against all odds. The inaugural South African Youth Awards will be held on 29 June at Gallagher Estate. The aim of the awards is to showcase the exceptional work and contribution that young people are making to South Africa and to the world. The evening will also serve as an inspiration and motivation to other young people that extraordinary things can come out of even bleak situations.
There are many other activities that will take place during Youth Month; details will be communicated throughout the month and made available from www.nyda.gov.za.
As we commemorate Youth Month let us be reminded that more remains to be done. Youth development is essential in any country that plans to have a better future for its citizens. Statistics tell us that in South Africa young people account for about 70% of the total number of unemployed South Africans, which stands at just over 25%.
The South African government has demonstrated its commitment to youth development through the establishment of various programmes and institutions such as the National Youth Development Agency however more remains to be done. If we are to win the fight against the scourge of unemployment, it cannot be government alone that is involved. To ensure that the struggle of the 1976-generation was not in vain, all sectors of society must be committed to the course of youth development. Only when we have triumphed over inequality, unemployment and poverty for our youth, will we realise the true meaning of freedom and democracy.
