agenda
22 February 2007
The National Youth Commission (NYC) welcomes the budget speech as presented
to Parliament by the Minister of Finance, Mr Trevor Manuel. The youth should be
among the main players and beneficiaries in the sharing of our growing
economy.
The following are the areas which will advance the youth development in our
country:
a) The additional R8,1 billion to hire additional teachers, teaching
assistants and support staff in schools and districts in order to improve the
remuneration levels of teachers. The allocation of R700 million for bursaries
for teachers will also go a long way in ensuring that more young people join
the teaching profession, particularly in the areas of mathematics and
science.
b) In the light of the current shortage of critical skills, the NYC applauds
the provision of additional R2,2 billion to support our university sector to
increase the enrolment and production of more science, engineering and
technology graduates. It is gratifying to note that the Further Education and
Training sector will be receiving R600 million for bursaries for youth from
previously disadvantaged communities.
c) The allocation of an extra R2,4 billion to the police to further expand
police numbers and the projected investment in technology and forensic
equipment further sends a clarion call to our youth to be in a state of
readiness to join the ranks of our safety and security sector. The increased
funding of training in Information Technology (IT) would further expose our
youth to skills development that are in high demand by our growing economy.
d) Participants in the National Youth Service (NYS) programme also stand to
benefit in the doubled budget of the Department of Housing. Already underway
are initiatives where youth participate in the NYS programme to build houses
for the poor in Limpopo, North West and Western Cape provinces. The ongoing
engagement between the NYC and the Department of Housing will further dissect
and isolate niches of youth development in the allocated resources of the
department.
e) South Africa 2010 World Cup: the R8,4 billion set aside for the
construction of stadiums also presents another opportunity to our youth to be
among the main beneficiaries of this economic participation opportunity. The
infrastructure development programme towards 2010 will serve as a major skills
development base to thousands of our youth towards sustainable livelihoods. A
deliberate effort should be made by the Local Organising Committee for the FIFA
World Cup and participating municipalities to design youth development
programmes to assist the integration of our youth in the achievement of this
African dream.
In the light of the pronouncements made in the Budget Speech 2007, it is
hoped that rollout of the NYS programme will be fully integrated in the
national initiatives that stand to significantly benefit from the budget
allocations. It is the firm belief of the NYC that direct allocation of
resources towards the NYS will go a long way in addressing the myriad of
challenges our youth face. Youth, be they unemployed; in higher education;
further education and training or in conflict with the law will greatly benefit
from the opportunities the programme is set to unleash.
For more information, please contact:
Monde Mkalipi
Cell: 082 575 3976
Meshack Sempe
Communications Directorate
National Youth Commission
Tel: (012) 309 7866
Fax: (012) 324 4756
Cell: 076 707 4598
E-mail: sempem@nyc.gov.za
Issued by: National Youth Commission
22 February 2007
