26 May 2004
Madam Speaker and Deputy Speaker
President
Deputy President
Honourable Members
There is an African proverb in Kikongo, a language spoken by Bakongo tribe in Central Africa that says, "A forest without young trees will die."
Ours is an organisation that understands the point expressed by this proverb, we know every society relies on its youth to propel itself forward and move to new heights.
As we celebrate ten years of freedom, we recall the, bravery and sacrifices of our youth who had to perish in pursuance of our people's yearning for freedom and democracy.
We recall the indignation visited upon our people by successive colonial perpetuation of marginalisation and disempowerment of our black youth and black people in general and apartheid regime.
Accordingly, we acknowledge the important and invaluable contribution that our youth made to propel us forward and ushered freedom to our people.
This day -59 years ago our people met in Kliptown and adopted the freedom charter.
Accordingly, the freedom charter gave our people the reason to believe that another would be possible.
Consequently, our people could not despair but gained the fortitute to fight and free themselves from the shackles of apartheid bandage belevy that another world was possible.
To this day and forever the African National Congress is guided and will continue to be guided loudable ideals espoused by names generations that preceded us.
As we had been because of the tremendous work what we have done in the last ten years to create a better life for our people , hope and confidence those prevails in the heads and minds of our people.
Today those our people are without food, have hope for a meal, those of our people who are infirm and sick have hope for a good health, those of our people who are tired and sleepy have hope for a roof on their heads and place to sleep.
Madam Speaker
Having attained our freedom the challenge to us is how do maximise opportunities for our youth to participate in the economy.
To us as the ANC, youth economic participation denotes an ongoing process in which all young people are engaged, invested in and empowered.
In this context youth economic participation is a multi dimensimal endeavour to promote sustainable integration of youth into the mainstream economy.
To us we stand firm in our belief that young people should not be spectators of Black Economic Empowerment programme; they must be active participant in the mainstream economy.
With regard to unemployment, youth represent, the aggregate unemployment in the country, constituting 70% of the unemployment.
African Youth, rural youth and young women bear the amount of grinding unemployment and underemployment.
The progress we make with regard to reducing unemployment and joblessness will be determined by the extent to which we reduce the number of young people who are unemployed.
To this end we appreciate and commend the commitment by the President of our country to launch the Expanded Public Works Programme in all provinces by the end of the year and other may sears instead to maximise the capacity of our economy to create jobs.
This programme will go a long way in creating jobs directly as well as stimulating job.
Madam Speaker
The President has announced that, we will compile a register of all graduates, graduating this year, so as to link them up with Umsobomvu, the leamrships and other schemes and agencies, for them to their own businesses or get jobs quote and unquote.
This is a very important initiative because it will assist in easing access to these institutions and agencies to the benefit of our youth.
It will bring their institutions to the youth and bring youth to these institution.
Madam Speaker
Consistent with the sentiments by the President it is important to lend financial, material and advisory support to the youth in the establishment and development of their enterprises.
The introduction of a proportion of young people on the companies' payroll or stake in companies as one of the criteria when government department, and State Owned Enterprises award tenders could be one of the interesting areas to look into..
Madam Speaker
A review of government development youth programmes suggests that there has been progressively greater commitment to youth development in different government departments since 1994 and it has been lifted to higher levels.
To date government has assigned to our youth major responsibilities in confronting the challenges that our country faces.
I hope that the private sector will take a leaf and reciprocate. Young Black people can be leaders in industry lets open space for them to put their talents and skills to the service of our country.
The various Black Economic Empowerment Charters that are being considered should be nudged to the benefit of young people.
Financing mechanisms, affirmative action programmes should be embraced full heartedly by the private sector.
Public sector lending institutions should also take a lead in determining the best models for financing and support for young entrepreneurs.
Madam Speaker
The chronic problem of unemployment stems from lack of skills and the contingent to manual or unskilled workforce and a gap in synergy between the Education system and Labour Market demands.
To this end we would like to welcome the commitment that the President made regarding the funding of technical colleges and proper alignment of the courses they offer.
In the initial stages of implementation of the learnerships, some of us were sceptical about the extent to which we could move with regard to our absorption targets given the pace at which they were moving at that time. Thanks to the tough talking Minister! We would like to congratulate and commend the Sector Education and Training Authorities with regard to the progress made thus far.
But we should insist on them to move to higher Gear to accelerate the intake of learners, through measures that were announced by the President.
Madam Speaker
We are reminded by Charles Colton that "Great minds must be ready not only to take opportunities, but to make them for their follow brothers and sisters" quote -unquote.
In the Last Growth and Development Summit young people committed themselves to contributing 1 day gross remuneration of all working youth and youth who may be having financial or monetary opportunities to make such a contribution for the establishment of a youth fund.
The President was the first to make a pledge.
Madam Speaker
Thinking about a deadline for implementation on this, commitment could do no harm.
In February 1964 the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Don de Klerk, explained South Africa's sport policy as follows: "South African custom is that within the boundaries of the Republic, Whites and non-whites exercise their sports separately and this must be adhered to participation of mixed terms as representation of South Africa as a whole in world tournaments or competitions cannot be approved on Whites take part in such tournaments as representations of Whites in our country, and in the same, non-whites will represent non-whites" (Allison 1986:115).
It was Dr Verwoed on 4th September 1965 who took this policy perspective to new heights. He represented who could play sport, against which they could play, when and where they could play.
In Solidarity with the people of South Africa the Supreme Council of Sport, an ageing of the then Organisation for African Unity mobilised the Africa sporting community to pressure for isolation of South African sporting codes in internal games. They also mobilised for the boycott those international games where in South Africa was invited.
As a result most of the African sportsmen and women could not participate in international games as a consequence of their solidarity with their South African kith and kins.
That we are hosting the 2010 Soccer World Cup on behalf of Africa is humbling hononour and privilege.
These events marks the full integration of Africa in Global sporting community. It is a celebration of many years of the struggle by the African people on the continent for all the talents for the unity in our continent.
It is a moment, where as South Africans should unite and put our ugly chapter of discrimination in sport behind us.
We should make use of the is opportunity to nudge and mould the talents that is there amongst our youth in rural areas and townships, in squatter camps so that all the sporting cdes in the country become fully integrated.
I would like to congratulate millions of our youth who come out and participated quite enthusiastically in the last general elections, thus making a death knell to the official sophistry that was anointed before the elections to disunite them from the political life of our country by referring to them as apathetic.
I have spoken to many of our youth legislations and executive comics, and they are all committed to ensure that they do not fail our movement and our people.
The confident that our country has shown in them will meet with their dedication and hard work.
As young people we have got the responsibility to make sure that we create opportunities for others to reap the fruits of freedom, for them to contribute their worth to the building of a new society, so that our country does not perish.
An unused life is an early death! If we do not use the energy that our youth it will be like killing our future infinity.
Thank you very much…