Programme director,
President Jacob Zuma
Ministers and Deputy Ministers present here today,
MECs and Mayors,
The Leadership of the youth present;
The CEO of National Youth Development Agency, Andile Lungisa;
Leaders of political parties,
People of Gauteng
I welcome you all.
It is exactly 35 years since the laager politics and its attendant false Afrikaner supremacy ideology was rattled and challenged by the 1976 generation of revolutionaries. On that fateful day of 16 June 1976 a clear and loud message was sent to the illegitimate rulers that compartmentalisation of the South African society was no longer going to be tolerated; the oppression of the majority by the minority was repugnant; and Pass Laws and Bantu education had reached their sell-by-date.
It was this call and commitment to the building of a free and equal society that spur the youth of 1976 to wage a relentless rebellion against the evil system of apartheid. The 16 June 1976 events will forever immortalise the role and contribution of the youth in the struggle for freedom and democracy in South Africa. Today, we commemorate the 35th anniversary of the historic uprising as well as hope for triumph that it brought with it.
As we do this we should use the opportunity to look back, take stock and plan for the challenges that still await us. We have gained democracy but we are still faced with the greatest challenges of young people who go to bed without meal, a girl child who is constantly subjected to violation, a man who walks the streets daily in search of work and a farm worker who is forever abused, evicted and assaulted.
We are always confronted by the angry face of a boy who has been deprived of his childhood by hunger and poverty forcing him to sell his labour for survival. We are still contending with the challenge of providing adequate schools, health centres, houses and recreational facilities to all our people irrespective of colour or suburb.
But we also find comfort in the fact that within fifteen years of democratic rule we have been able to provide free housing to the millions of our people. Multitudes of the poor are now enjoying access to clean water and sanitation. More and more children are attending no-fee schools and are beneficiaries of our feeding scheme program. The social network system is providing a life line in a form of grants to millions of our people. And the economy is stable and growing steadily. However, we are not oblivious to the fact that our economy has not benefited all. It has not been inclusive enough such that the floor-shop worker can regard himself as an equal player.
Programme director,
We are celebrating Youth Day under the theme “Youth Action for Economic Freedom in our Lifetime “to highlight the importance of addressing the issues of economic emancipation and genuine youth empowerment.
However, economic emancipation and youth empowerment should be accompanied by clear program of skills development. It is for this reason that in Gauteng we have prioritised the issue of youth training in areas of artisan, agro-processing, tool making, jewellery design and many others. We are doing this so that we can in the long run produce young people who are independent and highly enterprising. This intervention will contribute immensely in the growth and development of our economy. It is this commitment in skills development and education by government that the youth must exploit.
Moreover, youth as members of society have a critical role to play in building their communities and the nation. It is the responsibility of youth to get involved in the community structures and organisations which are aimed at improving the conditions in our areas. This involvement must be guided by a strong sense of civic responsibility. It should not be a self-serving involvement.
Today we are faced with a challenge of young people who are hardly involved in youth structures and therefore expend their energies on activities that have little value if any to the development of communities. We cannot have an innovative and enterprising nation if our young ones spend much of their time in taverns, clubs and drug dens. In order for us to be globally competitive, we need a youth that spends time in laboratories, libraries, sports fields, creative art centres and other incubator centres. This does not only empower but also to instil a sense of belonging which many of our young people require today.
Programme director,
Once more allow me to welcome the President of the Republic, Mr JZ Zuma, Mr President we are always humbled by your visit and presence in this province.
I would also like to welcome the leadership of the youth and wish you fruitful deliberations and positive outcome in your elective conference taking place here in Gauteng.
Lastly, I would like to welcome everyone who made time and attended this historic event in honour of the youth of 1976.
Our country needs an active cadre of young people who participate in processes that contribute towards making South Africa a better country.
I therefore urge all young people to pick up the spear left by the 1976 generation and become part of the efforts aimed at poverty alleviation, job creation and crime prevention.
Dankie, ngiyabonga!
God bless Africa!
Source: Gauteng Provincial Government
