Address by Speaker Baleka Mbete(MP) on the occasion of the National Youth Parliament, Walter Sisulu Hall
Chairperson of the NCOP, Ms Thandi Modise
Deputy Speaker, Lechesa Tsenoli
Deputy Chair of the NCOP, Serati Tau
Speakers of Legislatures
Honourable Members and Honourable MPL’s
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
Good Morning.
I am very pleased to be here today, as I am always inspired by young people.
I am also very pleased that we as the South African Legislative Sector, are becoming exactly, that- a sector that is increasingly cementing our relationship, by building common understandings, best practice and cohesion amongst ourselves. The value of collaborating as a sector is indeed beginning to yield excellent results especially in respect of improved oversight and thus improved outcomes for our people.
Programme Director
We meet during Youth Month, which 40 years ago, gave rise to the heroism of the Youth of 1976.
Each year, Parliament convenes amongst others, the Youth Parliament during Youth Month to commemorate the Youth of past generations and the Youth of today. We do so, to acknowledge and celebrate the heroism of a generation of Youth who stood resolute and principled against Apartheid and an unjust and brutal regime. The Youth of 1976, fought for the rights and the liberation of all of us- for me, for you and, and future generations.
This year, and during June, we as a nation, also commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the Freedom Charter, which was held on 26 June 1955 in Kliptown, spelling out the people’s vision of the kind of South Africa they desired. Today, the Freedom Charter is the foundation of our Constitution, and indeed as the Freedom Charter declares so boldly “The People Shall Govern.”
Today, many of the Youth of 1976 are giving fruition to the Freedom Charter by contributing towards the reconstruction and development of our democratic South Africa, in many sectors of the country and the world.
Indeed the struggle and sacrifices of the Youth of 1976 were not in vain. Your generation is growing up in times of breath-taking change. Race no longer determines where one lives, where one goes to school or church, or what work one can do, or even whom we love. Black people no longer have to carry passes or seek permits to live and work in urban areas. Indeed there are no longer public spaces that are designated for certain race group’s only, such as beaches or public transport. These are all examples of the manifestations of the institutionalised racism that our people had to endure every day.
Ladies and gentlemen
Today, we live in a vibrant democracy, where the executive, parliament and the judiciary perform their tasks cooperatively, advancing democracy and promoting the rights of all our people.
Today we also live in a country where the ANC led government has systematic and sustainable programmes in place providing basic services that improve the quality of life to our people.
Millions of people now have access to water, electricity, housing, hospital care, quality education, and other services which has led to an improvement in the quality of life.
In your lives, you’ve seen massive global declines in poverty and disease, you’ve seen incredible strides for women’s rights. You’ve mastered technology, the world is connected now in ways that we couldn't imagine even 10, 20 years ago.
And yet, even though you’ve come of an age where change is happening so rapidly, your generation I think believes deeply that you can change this world for the better. You are more interested in hard work, the hard work of waging peace than the easy impulse towards conflict. You are more interested in the hard work of building prosperity through entrepreneurship and innovation. I see a generation of Youth who are more eager for the progress that comes not from holding down people who are not like you, but lifting everybody up so that everybody has an opportunity, regardless of what they look like or how they pray or whom they love. And that makes me hopeful.
And unlike any other time in history, the technology at your disposal means that you don't have to settle for the world as it is; you can create the world as you want it to be.
You already have the freedom to build a world in powerful and sometimes disruptive ways. So this is extraordinary progress.
Programme Director
Of course, we do not live on an island. We are part of the global world, and we are just as much affected by what others do, elsewhere in the world. In recent years, the global economy has slowed down, and this has affected our countries economic growth, inflicting hardship here, at home. We are aware that still too many communities endure pain due to the challenges of unemployment, inequality and poverty. We know to well too- that many of our people are still waiting for basic services given the backlogs.
Rising to the call of the Youth of 1976, and indeed the calls of the Youth of today, our government continues to prioritise education as an instrument of liberation. Thus, Education as a key to development and a better life receives the biggest chunk of the national budget.
Each year we build new schools and refurbish others, to improve the learning environment. Seven hundred and ninety five schools since 2009, has been built at a cost of 23 billion rand.
Communities throughout the country have been the recipients of seventy eight new libraries in addition to three hundred and four that have been upgraded.
We are determined that Poverty must never prevent a child from obtaining an education. To improve access to education, At least eighty percent of our public schools are now no-fee schools and nine million children are exempted from paying school fees. In this way, we are making sure that every child in our country has an opportunity to receive an education.
Ensuring that our country is equipped and skilled to move us forward,
Government is also building three new universities and twelve technical education colleges to expand access to higher education. Moving with the times, the need has also been identified to invest more and more resources into information and communication technologies in education. Right here in Gauteng, learners were offered tablets to promote E-learning in our schools.
Government is also increasing funding for education, from three hundred and eighteen million rand in 2010 to two point three billion rand in 2016. The objective is to promote technical education and provide more electricians, welders, plumbers and other artisans for the economy. We know that many more students are still struggling to afford tertiary education because they come from poor families.
It is perplexing therefore to see that in our communities, schools, libraries, clinics and community centres are being torched and burned to the ground.
This rogue behaviour is unacceptable and hurts the very people who need these facilities most- our Youth and the vulnerable. We should remember that not a single school was burned during the June 16, 1976 student uprising.
Just recently, we witnessed students doing the unthinkable, by burning university buildings on some campuses and destroyed other facilities and furniture, just to communicate that they cannot afford the fees.
That conduct is unforgivable and totally unacceptable. We live in a country where freedom of expression, association and of the media are enshrined in the Constitution, where we know we will not be shot and killed for staging a peaceful march to state our grievances. We clearly need to have much more dialogue on how we as communities put across our demands for services. We should not give in to those reactionary forces who are hell-bent and intent on taking our democratic country backward.
Let us evoke the spirit of the COSAS slogan which says “Forward, Ever, Backwards Never”. We have it in our power to stop this tragedy, which goes against the spirit of our great heroes of 1976.
I therefore call on the Youth in particular, and leaders in communities to be at the forefront of reconstruction and development, rather than breaking down, that which brings the promise of lifting our people out of poverty and a brighter future.
Together, we need to undertake some serious introspection, and to agree on solutions as a nation. We need the economy to grow so that jobs can be created, especially for our youth.
To this end, we need to see more programmes aimed at promoting confidence in the economy, and this must be done in conjunction with the labour and business sectors.
As much as we encourage young people to open up businesses, more must be done nationally, provincially, and at municipal levels to provide the necessary skills, funding and markets for Youth entrepreneurs.
The Youth as the future of country, have an important role to play in shaping our new democratic country. On the 3rd of August, we go to the polls to elect new municipal representatives.
I urge the youth to come out in their thousands to exercise this right that many died for. And to those of you who are not young enough to vote, I want to urge you to encourage your parents, older brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles to vote. Each one of us has an obligation to ensure that we participate in the decision-making process of our democracy- you cannot make demands if you are not willing to participate in our democracy, when you are called upon to do so- this after all is what our social contract entails.
All of us, including the Youth have to become involved in our communities, be it on health committees, the crafting of IDP’s for the needs of a particular community, or attending school governing board meetings- there is a place and a space for all of us to become active and involved. We all have the potential to be agents of change.
In closing, ladies and gentlemen, I wish to emphasise, that to solve today’s challenges we have to work with each other.
I am confident that South Africa’s Youth is more than ready to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Wherever you find yourselves-in the schools, in religious institutions, universities, at work, in sporting bodies, as cultural workers, be assured that we love you and your wellbeing remain our first priority. We stand firm in our conviction that you deserve a better quality of life than the generations that came before you.
I look forward to following the deliberations over the coming days. As the Youth of 1976 demonstrated so powerfully, together, we can build a brighter and more prosperous future for All, as the Freedom Charter calls upon us to do.
I thank you
