Programme director
My colleague, the Minister of Social Development
Members of Parliament present
Young people and the community of Hanover Park and surrounding areas
It is a great pleasure for me to join you this morning at this very important seminar dealing with issues of drugs affecting our society, particularly the youth. It is important that we hold this seminar during the youth month. This is the period when we commemorate the outstanding contribution of the youth to the struggle for liberation of our country.
This year, we mark the 34th anniversary of the Soweto uprising in 1976. We need to also acknowledge the opportunities brought by democracy. These opportunities require all of society to work together in improving the social conditions of young people who still live in poverty and distress.
Government is committed to continuously advance youth development. The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) works with various government departments in fulfilling the electoral mandate of government on youth development. Interventions include, amongst others:
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promoting quality basic education through the matric rewrite programme
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the National Youth Service programme where 50 000 youth have been targeted to establish cooperatives
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as well as professionalism of youth work in ensuring that youth workers are trained by March 2011.
These are programmes that we need to ensure that all youth participate in. The programmes have the ability to shape a better future for our youth, taking them out of social problems such as alcohol abuse, drugs and crime. Please visit the offices of the National Youth Development Agency to be able to get information on these programmes. There are at least 10 of these offices in Western Cape including in Cape Town.
Drug abuse is a major problem facing our country. The South African Institute of International Affairs estimates that there are up to 500 000 cocaine users in the country and one-third of our teenagers experiment with drugs of one kind or another.
The institute says that there are up to 300 international crime syndicates involved in drug trafficking.
Bringing this disturbing situation closer to this province, studies by the Medical Research Council showed that 98 percent of users of tik (methamphetamine) in South Africa live in the Western Cape.
We need to respond to this situation as a country. We know that police continue to make breakthroughs with major drug busts at our ports of entry and other sites in the country. We have to ensure that the kingpins behind these drug syndicates are arrested, convicted and they remain behind bars.
There are various programmes to ensure that our youth are aware of the risks of using illicit drugs. Of particular importance is the policy allowing for the testing for drugs at schools. We know that drug abuse have negative effect on academic performance and increases probability of cases of violence in schools.
I would like to appeal to all of you, young people gathered here. You should know that use of alcohol before you are 18 years old is illegal and bad for your health. You should also know that using drugs is not cool at all and can land you in various types of trouble including prison.
As a society, we should strengthen relationships within families to create a safe and caring environment where young people are able to have more positive and healthy lifestyles. Social ills and lack of access to basic services impact negatively on youth development.
Youth development in South Africa is everyone's responsibility including young people themselves. It is upon every young person to become an agent of change.
Before I conclude programme director, I must express my excitement with the manner in which the 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup has progressed thus far. The indication is that the programmes that government put in place to ensure the safety of everyone during this period are having the required positive effect.
Everyone has enjoyed him or herself in our country without any major problem.
Particularly encouraging is that there is no indication that the fears of an exponential increase in human trafficking and other forms of abuse of women and children are becoming a reality.
We have to celebrate the impact that our awareness campaigns and law enforcement measures have had in preventing an increase in cases of abuse. Even with Bafana Bafana out of the tournament, we need to continue to enjoy the games and welcome all the people who are visiting our country.
Thank you very much.
Source: Department of Women, Children and Persons with Disabilities
