President Jacob Zuma has committed government departments to speed up efforts and prioritise the implementation of programmes on youth development to address the long standing challenges facing young people, particularly economic emancipation.
The President convened a meeting with the Presidential Youth Working Group today, 02 June 2017, at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.
The meeting reviewed progress made in youth development and discussed challenges facing the youth, including the recent incidents of the killing of women and children as well as ways of ensuring meaningful economic participation by the youth in the radical socio-economic transformation programme of the country.
The Working Group, which is chaired by the President, supported by Deputy Ministers led by the Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Mr Buti Manamela, brings together government and youth organisations, to promote youth participation in governance and policy making.
President Zuma said that despite current challenges facing young people, a number of achievements had emanated from the continuous outputs of the work streams, especially from the five pillars of the National Youth Policy 2015-2020 as proposed by young people.
In terms of education, the President said "I’m pleased that various SETAs have begun the training of young people and exposing them to the world of work."
The meeting noted for instance that over 27 071 students had benefitted through MERSETA’s support and funding of various TVET colleges and schools including bursaries and incentive funding for training – spending over R1.7 billion on education programmes between 2013/14 and third quarter of 2016/17.
In addition, during 2015/16 the MERSETA alone had successfully placed a total of 3 227 young people in apprenticeships, while the EWSETA had partnered with the Department of Water and Sanitation and Rand Water to train 15 000 water agents, artisans and plumbers who would fix leaking taps in their local communities in all the nine provinces.
President Zuma further encouraged young people to take advantage of government’s programmes aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs and cooperatives to ensure the full participation of young people in the mainstream economy.
The meeting also reported that in the previous financial year the Department of Small Business Development had approved a total of R76 million under Co-operative Incentive Scheme, with an estimated transfer to youth enterprises amounting to over R18 million.
It was also reported that the Gauteng Provincial Government had an annual target of 10% of public procurement spend for youth owned enterprises and the total youth spend had increased from R817 million in 2014/1 to over R2 billion in the 2015/16 financial year.
While the focus was on the full economic participation and transformation, the youth leaders felt that they should also lead society in fighting social ills affecting communities such as alcohol and drug abuse, crime as well as violence against women and children.
"There's an urgent need to go back to our cultures and practices that ensured that we maintained a strong moral fabric and vibrant living which prevented some of the ills of our society today," said Ms Nthabeleng Likotsi from Young Women in Business Network.
The youth representatives also raised concerns on the insufficient participation of the business sector in youth development and entrepreneurship programmes and requested government to intervene strongly in that regard, including considering the possibility "of reviewing mining licenses for instance for companies that don't comply."
In closing the meeting, he was pleased with the contributions of the group especially as it related to teaching the male child as well in the fight against abuse, violence and killing of women.
The President further remarked that the youth leaders were full of proposal, appreciated the progress and pointed the way forward which the Working Group would take, which should include adopting the Working Group report and enhancing it further.
The President said government had made noticeable strides in addressing the long standing challenges of the youth and would continue to improve.
He pointed out that already Government had recently unveiled a new drug rehabilitation centre in Gauteng and that more centres would follow in most parts of the country.
President Zuma used the meeting to officially launch the Youth Month, which is held under the theme: “The Year of OR Tambo: Advancing Youth Economic Empowerment”.
Enquiries:
Dr Bongani Ngqulunga
Cell: 082 308 9373
E-mail: bongani@presidency.gov.za
