Speaking notes: South African Youth Awards’ winners’ welcome remarks by the Honourable Jeff Radebe, MP, Minister in the Presidency Responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation; Union Buildings, Pretoria
Introduction
I would like to once again congratulate you for winning the 2017 South African Youth Awards. I am sure the feeling is still a bit surreal. Some of you are probably still pinching themselves just to make sure that you are not dreaming!
This is indeed a great achievement for you. As government, we are very proud that we have such talented and dedicated young people in our country. This is an accolade you should not take lightly. The award affirm you as individuals who have a unique contribution to our society. You are recognised for what you bring to the world.
As I indicated last night, winning an award is not the end of your journey. In fact, it is the beginning of a new chapter. This milestone should inspire you to break more barriers and expand your horizons. It bestows you with new responsibilities.
I am confident that you will take the new responsibilities with the same zeal and acumen that made you some of the brightest stars in our country.
All eyes will be on you. The nation will look up to you to play significant leadership roles in society. You are the faces of the future of our country. You are expected to play an active role in uplifting your communities. You are expected to assist in empowering other young people. You are expected to contribute to national development.
You have established yourselves as leaders in your own right. Our country requires strong and highly principled individuals with integrity. We need young people who are great visionaries. May you continue making a difference in our lives.
It is quite significant that today you are visiting the Union Buildings – the seat of government. This visit should inspire you to assume leadership in your respective fields. You must try and understand how the government works and the mandate of the different components of government.
As the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, I would like to tell you a bit about our department and its foremost programmes. In a nutshell, as the Department we are the custodians of the National Development Plan (NDP). Let me give you a brief background about the NDP as the overarching plan of the country.
The National Development Plan (NDP)
Government in consultation with the various stakeholders across the realm of our society, developed the National Development Plan (NDP) as a blue print for the creation of a more prosperous South Africa by 2030. The core priorities of the NDP are to reduce poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The NDP is very emphatic on developing faster and more inclusive growth. We have prioritised 14 Outcomes in the current Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF), spanning the period 2014 – 2019. These priority outcomes reflect some of the milestones that we have to achieve in order for us to be on par with the development targets of Vision 2030.
The NDP makes it abundantly clear that the achievement of economic transformation and inclusive growth will not result from a single intervention – it needs a wide range of stakeholders to be involved. Business is a vital partner in our efforts to develop a more dynamic, inclusive and flourishing economy.
The NDP is futuristic in its orientation, as it outlines our envisaged development trajectory in our journey towards 2030. Employment creation, alongside the eradication of abject poverty and reduction of gross inequalities are some of the core priorities in the NDP.
It is part of my core responsibilities as the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation nationally, to play an oversight role in assessing service delivery across the different sectors of our society.
The Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation is charged with the responsibility of assessing the quality of service delivery and get a sense of essential interventions where needed.
Conclusion
The success of the NDP and other government interventions is dependent largely on active citizenry and direct involvement of people from all sectors of society especially the youth. We believe that active citizenry and building a capable developmental state are key to ensuring that we deliver satisfactorily on the mandate given to us by the electorate.
As young people, you must be at the forefront of fundamental change. You are the ones we’ve been waiting for. Try to make a difference in your chosen vocation. Define your purpose. To quote Frantz Fanon: “Each generation must discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it, in relative opacity.”
It is our future – make it work!
Thank you.
