Programme Director
Minister in the Presidency, Jeff Radebe
Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Buti Manamela
Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Letshufi
NYDA Executive Chairperson, Yershen Pillay
Ward Counsellor
Members of the NYDA Board
Distinguished guests
Members of the media
Ladies and Gentlemen
We have met here today to launch 2015 Youth Month, another significant month in the history of our country. I am particularly excited to be part of this occasion and to witness the celebration of our cultural heritage, reaffirming that as a nation we are united in our diversity.
This year, 2015 marks the 39th Anniversary of the June 16 Soweto and other related uprisings that tragically ended with hundreds of lives of mostly young people killed by the apartheid government, when they protested against the imposition of Afrikaans as a medium of instructions in their schools. Young people of the generation of 1976, united in the fight for the liberation of South Africa, plainly expressed their preparedness to dedicate their lives to the liberation of South Africa.
Notably, this year South Africa marks 60 years since the adoption of the Freedom Charter in Kliptown in 1955. The Freedom Charter declared amongst other things, that South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people.
It is against this clause of the Freedom Charter that the Department of Arts and Culture is mandated to build a united and a cohesive nation. The department can only achieve this if the country’s resources which are young people are on the forefront of this social movement.
The reviewed or draft National Youth Policy 2020 also identifies Nation-Building and Social Cohesion as one of the key policy proposal.
The launch of this year’s Youth Month will witness a robust implementation of social cohesion programme for the youth.
We will ensure that these programmes are also youth driven, hence we call for the establishment of fully resourced Youth Units/Directorates in all government departments.
Youth Development requires that young people are to be supported in their development in their capacities in positive ways.
Mechanism are in place such as National Youth Development Agency as the custodian of youth development in our country, the Presidential Working Group on Youth has been activated and we also comment the work of South African Youth Council in advancing the development of our youth. We call upon all stakeholders to support all endeavors geared towards youth development.
The theme of this year Youth Month “Youth Moving South Africa Forward” is a call for activism and patriotism. Through government programmes and Department of Arts and Culture in particular we seek to create a collective of patriotic young people – disciplined, responsible, caring, confident, self-reliant and culturally aware, who through involvement in voluntary activities will contribute to personal, community and national development.
It is then significant that in moving our country forward, we are conversant with our identity, our national symbols and our pride. We are also popularising the AU flag and AU anthem to develop patriotism for Africa.
The commemoration of 2015 Youth Day will be led by the Department of Arts & Culture (DAC) in partnership with National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and support from all government departments.
We will use this significant day to highlight the country’s progress on youth development and this day will also support the holistic development of young people, particularly those outside the social, political and economic mainstream. Youth Day will promote the social inclusion by unleashing the creative capabilities of young people and also encouraging mass participation of youth, thus addressing negative forces that lead to inappropriate use of their leisure time.
Through on site youth services and information during the day and youth month, we hope to address some of the economic and social challenges faced by young people.
I must mention that Department of Arts and Culture has the Mzansi Golden Economy, a groundbreaking initiative that seeks to position the arts, culture and heritage sector as the main driver of economic growth.
We trust that the Youth Month activities will instill in our young people the values that we as South Africans hold dearly; the values of inclusivity, love, mutual respect, discipline, reconciliation and most of all the values of ubuntu.
To our youth we say, let these be the values that guide you in your own personal lives.
Let these values lay the foundation for you to love and value yourself better as well as harness your true potential for the betterment of our country.
I thank you.
