Marshoff during the celebration of Youth Month, Phuthaditjhaba (Qwaqwa)
17 June 2006
Programme Director
Deputy Minister of Safety and Security, Me Susan Shabangu
MEC for Public Safety, Security and Liaison, Mr FK Morule
Mayors and councillors
Commissioners and Members of the Police Service
Members of the Community Police Forums
Comrades and Fellow Compatriots
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Programme Director
Each year we acknowledge the contributions of our young women and men who,
in June 1976, placed themselves at the centre-stage of the national struggle
with the vision to bring about a democratic, non-sexist, non-racial, united and
prosperous South Africa.
However, this year we mark youth celebrations alongside various historic
milestones of our struggle against apartheid and other forms of oppression.
These include the celebration of the Bambata Uprising, and the 10th
anniversary of the adoption of our national Constitution.
Institutionalised youth development
Not only are we here to commemorate the loss of young lives, we are gathered
here today to collectively reflect on the future and the role young women and
men can play in youth development, as well.
We need not forget that young people were deliberately marginalised,
vulnerable and left in despair during the past years of injustice. It is our
Peoplesâ government that institutionalised youth development through the
national transformation process and ensured:
* The inclusion of youth development in the Reconstruction and Development
Plan.
* The formation of Youth Commissions with advisory powers, to lobby and
advocate for the implementation of youth development programme by government
departments.
* The adoption of the National Youth Development Policy. The policy identifies
five areas of strategic intervention for sustainable youth development. These
are: social well-being, youth economic participation and empowerment, education
and training, justice and safety.
* The setting up of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.
âAge of hope: Deepening youth developmentâ.
Programme Director,
This yearâs theme: âAge of Hope: Deepening youth developmentâ calls upon all
of us to tackle the social and economic problems faced by our young people.
Unemployment remains one of the major problems facing South Africa today.
Statistics inform us that 70% of the unemployed in South Africa are youths
below the age of 35 years.
Matters of health, crime and safety pose serious challenges to the daily
lives of our young people. Together with youth, we indeed must continue to
create a conducive environment for youth development and participation,
including creating institutional support for youth development.
Our government has gone as far as emphasising the integration of youth
development into the programmes of all three spheres of government.
In her address at the Youth Sector Consultative Workshop on Accelerated and
Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) held on the 17 January 2006,
Deputy President, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka stated that government resolved that
youth development must be an integrated process.
The Deputy President further indicated that the following steps should be
taken to ensure that such integration effectively took place:
* Government clusters must incorporate youth development as part of the
Programme of Action.
* Positioning of youth development in government departments must be
streamlined, for instance Youth Directorates would have to be situated in the
offices of the Directors General.
* Youth development would need to be incorporated into the business plans of
government.
* Youth development must be incorporated into the Integrated Development
Plans.
* The roll-out of the National Youth Service programme was underway.
* Youth have a role in the social transformation of our country, fighting
poverty and contributing to the creation of work.
* Government departments should integrate youth service into their existing
programmes.
* Youth service should be localised by integrating it into Integrated
Development Plans and Local Economic Developments strategies.
* Education department should incorporate youth service into the youth
curriculum.
* The need to learn from our fellow brothers and sisters on the African
continent.
Free State Provincial Growth and development strategy
Programme Director
Through exhaustive consultative processes in the province, we managed to
develop the Free State Provincial Growth and Development Strategy. In the State
of the Province Address on the 10 February 2006, I publicly shared the
commitments of the provincial government of the Free State with all the
constituencies including the noble intentions of the Free State Growth and
Development Strategy.
Precisely because our provincial Strategy has been able to eloquently
encapsulate the ideals of AsgiSA, I think it is safe and proper to indicate
here today that both women and the youth are expected to benefit immensely from
such a provincial strategy.
Women and youth should be the major beneficiaries because they constitute
sectors that are highly affected by unemployment and poverty.
Conclusion
Programme Director
I would like to conclude by strongly indicating that one of the most
significant challenges generally facing us in South Africa, and particularly in
the Free State is the reduction of crime and violence committed by and toward
young women and men.
Young people become more involved in issues of crime and violence both as
perpetrators and as victims.
It is therefore prudent to continue to ensure that all of us, including the
youth, participate in the local programmes and projects designed to prevent
crime of any form and size.
It is equally important to call upon the provincial departments and
municipalities to team up with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the
Department of Public Safety, Security and Liaison in identifying, prioritising
and effectively implementing social crime prevention needs and projects with
the cardinal purpose of dealing with the root-causes of crime in our
communities.
As already stated, such identified crime prevention needs and projects must
be objectified in local Community Safety Plans and incorporated into municipal
Integrated Development Plans.
I thank you.
Issued by: Office of the Premier, Free State Provincial Government
17 June 2006
Source: Free State Provincial Government (http//:www.fs.gov.za)
