Young lions chart the future

We are indeed deeply humbled to be invited as guest authors of this week's 'Letter from the President'.

Barely a week ago, 4,000 members of our glorious youth movement gathered at Nasrec, Johannesburg. to map out the programme of action of the ANC Youth League for the next three years. These are the young lions of the African Century President Mbeki referred to in his letter at last week's ANC TODAY, whose task is to advance the historic mission of the ANC Youth League to ensure that Africa's cause triumphs.

The vibrancy of the congress and the jovial mood of the delegates told a story on its own. This being that young people are equal to the task of mapping out their future, and by default of the country and of the African continent. The build-up to this congress was preceded by rigorous debates on topical issues that were to inform deliberations at congress.

In attendance was the President of Haiti, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was received warmly by delegates as an honoured guest in our country. Our members did not hesitate to affirm the correctness of the ANC-led government's decision to host President Aristide as a guest of the South African people. The ANC Youth League continues to recognise President Aristide as the democratically elected President of Haiti.

It is important to note that at this congress, Malusi Gigaba, who has led the ANC Youth League diligently over the last eight years, was to hand over the baton. In his farewell speech delivered at the end of the congress, he said, "Here is the custody of the ANCYL; protect and jealously guard its precious legacy; live according to its injunctions; advance and defend its unity and cohesion; advance its integrity and pursue its popular objectives with single-mindedness, grounding it among the youth and laying it at the services of the national movement, the ANC,."

These are wise words indeed, by which every one of the leaders of our Youth League swore by. We dare not fail generations of young people whose blood nourished the tree of liberation. We similarly dare not fail the young people of our country, who have entrusted us to represent their will and aspiration within the fold of the ANC.

As we rise to embrace the challenge of being champions of youth emancipation, we draw our strength from those before us, who tirelessly built a youth movement that set the agenda for South Africa's national discourse. The tasks ahead of us are daunting, and we remain ready and willing to tackle them head on, and forge a legacy that generations to come will always look back at with pride, and draw strength and inspiration, like so many before us.

It is fitting that the preamble of the declaration adopted by the 22nd national congress of the ANC Youth League reads, "We, the delegates gathered at this 22nd Congress, were firm in our belief that the future will be what we make of it. In particular, we highlighted the key challenges facing our young nation, to: Deepen and defend our fledging democracy; Build our nation, united in our diversity; and Work for the emancipation of women and true gender equality."

This preamble affirms that delegates at the congress were under no illusion about the responsibility they shouldered as representatives of their respective constituencies. It is also an acknowledgement of their consciousness of the expectations by the country's youth in general, who look up to the ANC Youth League to articulate and champion their aspirations. All the congress resolutions reflect an affirmation of the ANC Youth League's twin tasks to mobilise the youth behind the ANC and to champion their interests in all areas of society.

We therefore rise to the occasion to tackle these challenges and deliver a Youth League that is truly the only political home for young people across the racial, economic and social divide, and therefore a leader of all social forces in advancing youth emancipation. Today's youth are "rebels" with a cause, which needs to be nurtured and supported. The emergence of a music genre like Kwaito is a reflection of youth rebelling against the imposition of subcultures into our youth and that our youth are keen on defining and pursuing their own interests.

The 22nd national congress had the singular honour to be addressed by President Thabo Mbeki, who challenged the Youth League to commit itself to ensuring that the number of women in ANC structures reaches 50% in 2007 when the ANC goes to its 52nd national conference. Congress responded enthusiastically to the challenge sending a message that the ANC Youth League does not need to wait for 2007 to set the pace on women emancipation. Congress therefore resolved to guarantee women representation on all ANC Youth League structures a minimum of 40%, and proceeded to amend the ANCYL constitution to give effect to this, paving the way for the election of 12 women onto the 30-member NEC.

Expressing its seriousness on gender equality, congress further adopted the following resolutions: The NEC should develop guidelines for awards to be given to branches, regions and provinces who excel in the advancement of gender equality All ANC Youth League Provinces to convene Young Women Indabas within twelve months, culminating in a national Young Women Indaba within 24 months. Such programme will be driven jointly with the ANC Women's League All young women over the age of 18 who join the ANC Youth League will be obliged to play an active role as members of the ANC Women's League. The Youth League constitution has been duly amended by congress to enable this. To take up joint programmes with the ANC Women's League on gender equality issues with particular emphasis on programmes around the girl child, teenage pregnancy and gender-based violence.

Central to the agenda of the congress was the unity of the movement, and the intensification of our struggles against tendencies that seek to divide rather than unite. The Youth League must work hard to purge from within its ranks and the ranks of the ANC all forms of corruption, careerism and opportunism. We will engage ANC provinces around the issue of the unity and cohesion of the ANC as well as the relationship between the ANC and the Youth League at provincial level.

As the Youth League we must pursue unity of the organisation vigorously and condemn to oblivion tendencies by some to infuse into our congresses and structures unethical behaviour that undermines the core principles of our movement. We will work tirelessly to purge from within our ranks all these tendencies.

As the youth of the ANC, we declared that the struggle to eradicate poverty and unemployment constitute the main frontier of struggle for the second decade of freedom. Social transformation is therefore a key instrument we seek to utilise to create a nation-state that is at peace with itself and shuns racist and sexist tendencies.

Delegates examined in detail a number of government initiatives aimed at advancing youth empowerment. The Expanded Public Works Programmes remains one of the most ambitious, which also holds promise for realistic youth empowerment. As part of our efforts to advance economic emancipation of young people, we will diligently lobby for a 40% quota for young people in all initiatives related to the Expanded Public Works Programme. This Programme should not only accommodate young people as labourers in projects that unfold, but they must be empowered in a realistic manner that is sustainable and enables them to participate in the country's mainstream economy.

Affordability of higher education is another area of critical importance to the youth who continue to pursue their studies. Congress mandated the incoming NEC to rigorously engage with the ANC NEC and the Minister of Education with a view to find a model that incentivises young people who choose to further their studies.

Clearly, the current funding formula of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) is not only problematic, but it undermines the very youth empowerment it claims to advance. It can never be acceptable that young people be listed in credit bureaux for loans they receive through the NSFAS, even at a time when they are still looking for employment. Obviously, this even diminishes the chances of them being employed, as some sectors use credit information in deciding on employment of candidates. It is on that basis that congress called for a 50/50 split in the bursary and loan components of the NSFAS respectively, and an end to student blacklisting on credit bureaux. Sport constitute a very important terrain which requires serious attention in advancing social transformation. The Youth League holds a firm view that quotas in sport are not only a prerequisite, but a necessary intervention to drive national unity and reconciliation.

We remain concerned about the extent to which social grants reach their intended beneficiaries, particularly the child care grant, thus contributing to the creation of a sustainable social security net for young people. This concern is a result of the abuse such grants are subjected to by members of our communities who are entrusted with receiving grants on behalf of the minors they are responsible for. Our response is a call on communities to be vigilant to such acts and work towards their eradication and fully co-operate with authorities in rooting out this practice. We must all work together to ensure that social grants reach their intended beneficiaries. Congress mandated us to seriously lobby the state to gradually increase the Child Support Grant to cover all children who qualify, up to the age of 18 by 2009.

HIV and AIDS pose a major challenge to young people. In the light of such a challenge the role they are expected to play in eradicating this pandemic cannot be overemphasised. All our branches across the country will be embarking on an intensive campaign to become activists in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Youth League branches must position themselves as leaders in their respective communities in advocacy work, provision of home-based care, supporting the rollout of antiretroviral treatment, encouraging young people to abstain as long as possible and where they become sexually active, to use condoms. Branches will also lead a campaign to ensure permanent availability of condoms in their localities. It must also be noted that congress passed an historic resolution to achieve a zero new infection rate among the youth by 2014. It is a resolution that we will work very hard to realise.

Delegates had the opportunity to examine the role of Umsobomvu Youth Fund in advancing youth emancipation, and arrived at ground-breaking resolutions which we believe will go a long way in putting in place a seamlessly integrated model for youth economic empowerment that closes the gap between research, policy and implementation. Congress therefore resolved that the NEC must develop a comprehensive proposal that seeks to integrate the National Youth Commission and Umsobomvu Youth Fund into a single youth development agency. All requisite processes that enable the establishment of such an agency should be completed by June 2005.

The Youth League will further embark on a drive to canvass and lobby government and private sector for 30% set-aside stake for young people in all procurement, both in public and private sectors.

It is significant that yesterday, the Minister of Communications, Minister Ivy Matsepe-Cassaburi announced that the Second National Operator (SNO) will be granted a licence on 17 September 2004. This comes hot on the heels of incisive deliberations at congress on the information and communications technology sector, culminating in far-reaching resolutions, which should form the basis of our engagement with the state and all its organs on related matters.

Diversity and lower cost for services have been singled out as crucial areas that need urgent attention. Young people constitute a large user base for telecommunications services, and the ever rising cost of a telephone call has a s direct effect on them. It is unfortunate that it has taken this long to announce the SNO, and we are hopeful that the September 17 deadline will not be shifted.

The tedious SNO process highlighted a major challenge for the ICT sector in the country, that of lack of skills and capacity domestically. It is along those lines that delegates at congress placed a lot of emphasis on massive investments in youth skilling and the creation of an ICT sector that responds to the developmental needs and priorities of our society. That can only be achieved if South Africans themselves, and young people in particular, are at the forefront of this industry and are central in setting the agenda for its growth and development. We believe that the Department of Education can play a crucial role in this regard through the introduction of a mandatory subject on information and communications technology. This cannot be left to tertiary institutions alone.

Rural areas continue to be the most disadvantaged both in terms of access to services and availability of infrastructure. Addressing this situation must be a priority and all departments of state should ensure their programmes have a rural bias. The state must therefore through a number of instruments and innovative means, subsidise the cost of telephone calls and use of internet at schools and in rural areas.

Similarly, the country needs to move towards a direction where a national policy directive on the technological needs for people living with disabilities. While the public sector can easily play a lead role in this regard, a directive that compels all sectors to take these into account is not only necessary, but a moral obligation. Introducing signage and sounds in lifts and traffic lights that assist disabled persons or even ramps in public transport should not be a luxury, but a basic requirement countrywide.

We welcome the release of the fourth working draft of the ICT Empowerment Charter. However, critical questions need to be asked of the stakeholders regarding their commitment to youth empowerment. The fact that the minimum target on the direct empowerment score for youth shareholding is reduced from 15% in 2010 to 10% in 2015 suggest that the initial score is nothing short of an attempt to appease an impatient generation of young people. Absence of an explicit provision that youth will be represented in the ICT BEE Council flies against the very concept of young people being architects of their own destiny.

It must be understood that youth is an integral part of any society, and its empowerment is a permanent imperative if we are to succeed in the task of ensuring an economically stable future. Young people are the future, and that is not likely to change simply because one generation has graduated to being adults and senior citizens. Our commitment to empowerment today, must guarantee a sustainable future for generations to come.

Advancing the struggles of young people in South Africa cannot disregard similar struggles of other young people across the African continent. Historically, the ANC Youth League has always had an internationalist complexion. In its founding document, the ANC Youth League Manifesto issued in March 1944, the authors wrote, "In response to the demands of the times African Youth is laying its services at the disposal of the national liberation movement, the African National Congress, in the firm belief, knowledge and conviction that the cause of Africa must and will triumph."

Indeed, 60 years on, such belief, knowledge and conviction holds true. The work we have done with our counterparts across the continent over the last few years will continue in earnest. Our members have spoken in a decisive manner and mandated the NEC to lead the process of mobilising young people on the African continent towards a progressive youth movement that truly represent their dreams and aspirations, which will become their voice within the African Union and other forums around the world. The first task, however, is a comprehensive programme that involves the masses of the youth across the continent to rally them around NEPAD, the African Union and the Pan African Parliament.

At the close of the congress, we quoted the great revolutionary Che Ernesto Guevara on the occasion of the second anniversary marking the unification of the July 26 Movement, the Revolutionary Directorate and the PSPs Socialist Youth Movement into the Association of Young Rebels, later known as the Union of Youth Communists. This is what he said:

"So it has to be, so it should be, and so it will be, companeros. So it will be because you are Young Revolutionaries, creators of the perfect society, human beings destined to live in a new world where everything decrepit, everything old, everything that represents the society whose foundations have just been destroyed will have definitely disappeared. To reach that goal we have to work every day, work in the inner sense of improving ourselves, of gaining knowledge and understanding about the world around us, of inquiring, finding out, and knowing why things are the way they are and always considering humanity's great problems as our own."

In a profound way, the statement reminds us to equip ourselves with skills in order to have the capacity to foster transformation from the old to the new dispensation. The statement is an attack on idealism since it challenges us to inquire about why things are the way the are and therefore find a dialectical explanation that would become our prospective to transformation.

Congress appreciated the magnitude of the problems facing the people of Zimbabwe. However, the Youth League firmly believes that the solution to the problems of Zimbabwe lie with the people of Zimbabwe themselves. We will sustain our engagement with both the ZANU-PF and the MDC and continue to encourage them to find each other through dialogue.

The cause of the Palestinian people remains a major source of concern for the progressive world. The brutal killings of innocent people and the oppression of Palestinians by the Sharon regime must be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all peace loving people of the world. There can never be peace in the Middle East unless Israel is prepared to lay down arms and negotiate in good faith with Palestine under the leadership of Yasser Arafat. We further applaud the landmark ruling by the International Court at the Hague that the wall Israel seeks to erect is illegal and constitutes a violation of the rights of Palestinians.

Congress further resolved to deepen solidarity with the struggling people of Swaziland, and has pledged to continue to participate in the Swaziland Solidarity Network.

We do indeed live in exciting times. While the challenges facing today's youth may be very different from those that faced generations of yesteryear, their wisdom and conviction remains relevant and we will draw from those. We will not fail the young people of our country. Now is the time to get down to work and build a South Africa of tomorrow for generations to come. Aluta Continua!

** This week's 'Letter from the President' was written, at the invitation of President Thabo Mbeki, by the newly-elected President of the ANC Youth League, Fikile Mbalula.

Governance

Batho Pele programme given teeth

A strategy to revitalise government's Batho Pele programme is being implemented across the public service, establishing new targets for improving service delivery.

Addressing a parliamentary briefing this week, Public Service and Administration Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said the new strategy was based on the findings of a review of the implementation of the Batho Pele (people first) principles in government. The development of the new strategy follows President Thabo Mbeki's State of the Nation address earlier in the year. Mbeki said: "We must be impatient with those in the Public Service who see themselves as pen-pushers and guardians of rubber stamps, thieves intent on self enrichment, bureaucrats who think they have a right to ignore the vision of Batho Pele, who come to work as late as possible, work as little as possible and knock off as early as possible."

The strategy's first area of focus is about taking services to the people. This involves the development of a comprehensive, integrated access strategy for the public service to 2014. It also involves integrated service delivery, which aims to make a wide range of government services available from a single location, and to ensure these locations are situated as close as possible to the people who need them, especially previously marginalised communities.

One of the ways of integrating service delivery is through the operation of Multi-Purpose Community Centres (MPCCs). To date, 57 MPCCs have been completed out of the target of 60 by the end of the year. Government plans to have an MPCC in every municipality by 2024.

Government launched an internet portal - the Batho Pele Gateway - earlier this month which contains a wide range of information on government services on one site. A call centre (which can be reached by dialing 1020) is also operational in six languages.

Because many South Africans do not yet have internet access, the MPCCs form part of the access strategy for the Gateway. Currently nine pilot MPCCs and several post offices are connected to the portal. In this phase of the Gateway service, focus will be on expansion of access to the portal and the improvement of the quality of information. In the next phases, service transactions will be available online.

Another critical element in government's efforts to bring information and services closer to the people is the Community Development Worker (CDW) programme. The programme was announced in February 2003 and preparations were made for four provinces to implement in July 2003. A learnership was developed and registered in February 2004, and the first enrolments took place in February and March. Nearly five hundred learners were enrolled in five provinces - Eastern Cape, North West, Northern Cape, Gauteng and Limpopo - and were deployed to 138 municipalities.

Fraser-Moleketi said new enrolments would follow soon. The Western Cape, Free State and KwaZulu Natal would participate in the new intake. The urban and rural nodes identified for integrated development will be prioritised for the deployment of the Community Development Workers.

The second area of focus of the Batho Pele strategy is the 'know your service rights' campaign, aimed at informing the public on how to seek redress for poor service. Among other things, cabinet has agreed that public servants who interface directly with the public should be identified by nametags.

A third area of focus is setting up management systems to monitor the rate of service delivery by public servants. These systems will identify the frequency and types of complaints and queries received, and should allow government departments to become more pro-active, such as informing citizens when their licences or passports are due to expire.

Fraser-Moleketi said they would request ministers and public service commissioners to pay unannounced visits to service delivery centres. "We will also be requiring senior managers to spend time in service delivery centres, to assist with service delivery and to learn first hand of both the challenges and the successes at the coalface of service delivery," she said.

"We intend to review our human resource management systems in the light of Batho Pele, especially the performance management systems for public servants, and will infuse Batho Pele into the training programme for public servants."

Departments and service delivery centres will be encouraged to continue of their own accord to find ways to improve service delivery to the people. Fraser-Moleketi said there were many simple, straightforward and cost-effective ways of improving service, such as ensuring that a full staff complement is on duty at lunchtime, making it easier for citizens to engage with government.

Efforts to keep citizens informed about the progress of government programmes, and create opportunities for public feedback, will be improved with the refinement of programmes like the presidential and ministerial imbizo weeks. The next Imbizo Focus Week, on 24-30 September, will, for example, include more door-to-door interaction in the programmes.

Community monitoring and evaluation of government's performance has also been strengthened by the publication of the government's programme of action on the government website, and the public reporting of progress through media briefings and the regular posting of progress updates on the site. The site also has a facility for the public to make comments on government's performance.

"The Batho Pele programme is ambitious, but we are confident that we will succeed in transforming the service culture of the Public Service," Fraser-Moleketi said.

More information:

• Batho Pele Gateway

Social Cluster

Ministers report progress on government targets

Ministers from the social cluster of national government departments this week reported progress on tasks set for completion by July and August, indicating government's determination to meet the targets it has set itself.

One of the immediate tasks of government following the April elections was the development of a plan to deal with human settlement and social infrastructure, including rental-housing stock for the poor. The plan would also need to provide employment opportunities for the unemployed.

The housing ministry has tabled a comprehensive housing plan to cabinet. This includes a plan to expedite the provision of housing to the thousands of homeless people; provide better living conditions for those in informal settlements; and provide rental housing in urban areas. It also aims to create an enabling environment and encourage partnership between the public and private sectors to deliver sustainable human settlements.

The comprehensive plan also aims to engage banks within the context of the financial services charter to encourage them to increase their lending to people in both formal and informal employment sectors. It will also provide better housing for those living in single-sex accommodation. Once approved by Cabinet, it is expected the plan will have a significant impact on the delivery of housing in South Africa.

Another task given to this cluster was the development of an implementation plan for the National School Nutrition Programme that is premised on community participation and mobilises communities to develop food gardens. The primary goal of the programme is school feeding, while also using the resources invested in the programme by government to create sustainable livelihoods for local communities.

The transfer of the programme from the health department to the education department was described by the ministers as "fairly smooth", except for some hitches in a few provinces where the tender processes and systems used by the Department of Health had to be reviewed. The immediate goal for the Department of Education was to ensure continuity in the school-feeding scheme. The feeding scheme currently reaches 85% of the estimated 15,000 schools that the scheme is supposed to cover.

The second part of the nutrition programme focuses on creating employment opportunities for women. The cluster is focusing on the 21 presidential nodes where women are being encouraged to form small businesses that will administer the school feeding programme to a group of schools in the area. A plan, with concrete proposals for the nodes, has been developed and is ready to be presented to Cabinet. The plan seeks alternative delivery mechanisms that empower women in small businesses in the nodes.

The cluster has also been working on a Community Health Worker Policy Framework. Government is improving health service delivery by, among other things, opening up opportunities for trained community health workers.

Community Health Workers are community-based generalist health workers who combine competencies in health promotion, primary health care and health-resource networking and coordination. The plan to expand to 300 home-based care sites is on course and is due for consideration by Cabinet. This plan was developed by the target date of July 2004. However there are discussions relating to resource implications that must still be concluded before submission to the Cabinet.

The cluster was given a directive to present an integrated Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan by the end of July 2004, with a package of all government services that are targeting children from birth to five years of age. The draft plan, with a comprehensive set of ECD services, has been developed by the ECD Interdepartmental Committee, consisting of the Office on the Rights of the Child, and the departments of Education, Health and Social Development. The draft plan will be taken to Cabinet when the initial consultation of the relevant ministers has been completed.

The Early Childhood Development programme continues nevertheless, and a lot of effort has been put into the training and development of ECD practitioners. A total of 4,500 educators are currently being trained in a collaborative effort between the Department of Education and the relevant Sectoral Education and Training Authorities. The training will assist the practitioners in running ECD programmes. The Department of Social Development continues to register ECD sites, and the three departments are currently looking at integrating their databases to improve the understanding of the reach of ECD services.

The cluster has also met its deadline to develop a financing protocol for the nodal areas that are part of the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Programme (ISRDP) and Urban Renewal Programme (URP). The intention of the financing protocol was to synchronise the financing of these programmes by the three spheres of government. Cabinet is currently considering the proposed protocol. Part of further work that the Cluster is doing in this regard includes an audit of activities of all departments in each node.

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