Programme Director
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Ladies and Gentlemen

Ons is vandag bymekaar om erkenning te gee aan die belangrike rol wat jong mense in die welstand en vooruitgang van hierdie provinsie en land speel. Daarom kan ons van die hoogste kranse en met oortuiging skree dat:

• Die jeug maak saak.

• Die jeug is die toekoms van nie net hierdie Provinsie maar hierdie land.

Vandag is ons weer in Upington bymekaar waar ons minder as ‘n jaar gelede belowe het dat ons sal terugkeer met volhoubare planne om die kwellinge van die jeug aan te spreek. Ons besoek vandag hier is bewys dat waar dit by jeugsake en jeugontwikkeling kom ons as die ANC Regering altyd gestand sal doen aan die beloftes wat ons aan die jong mense van Suid Afrika maak. Ek het aangedring om teenwoordig te wees by hierdie belangrike ontmoeting sodat u verseker kan wees dat die ontwikkeling en bevordering van u belange ons as Regering altyd sal by bly.

Ons is duidelik bewus daarvan dat die jeug van vandag gekonfronteer word met n magdom van uitdagings wat verskillend en kompleks is wat die jeug van gister mee te doen gehad het. Waar die jeug van vroër hulle lewe neergelê het om te verseker dat ons, ek en U, die vryhede en geleenthede geniet wat hulle ontneem het; word ons jongmense van vandag  in die gesig gestaar deur ontwikkelings, sosiale en ekonomiese uitdagings wat ‘n verskillende benadering verg.

Vandag in Menseregte maand kan ons hier bymekaar kom as vry mense, as gelyke mense en as mense wat ‘n beter toekoms het as ons jeug van gister. En hiervoor bedank ons ons ouers en voorouers vir die onbaatsugtige opofferinge wat hulle gemaak het sodat ons die lewe kan lewe waaroor hulle slegs kon droom.

Ladies and gentlemen

The onus however is on you to enter and prepare yourself for a bright future filled with promise and endless possibilities. These sentiments are echoed by our revered former President and Father of the Nation, the Honourable Mr. Nelson Mandela when he said, “To the youth of today, I also have a wish to make: be the scriptwriters of your destiny and feature yourselves as stars that showed the way towards a brighter future.”

As the African National Congress led Government of the Northern Cape, we herewith re affirm our commitment to continuously put in place programmes that prepares young people for that transition from adolescence to adulthood. This is done through a structured, progressive series of activities and experiences which will help you to obtain social, emotional, ethical, physical and cognitive competencies.

The development of young people will therefore be aligned to the Governments’ approach to addressing poverty and underdevelopment, as well as a mechanism for promotion of social adjustment, social cohesion, and economic emancipation attained through comprehensive, integrated, cross-sectoral and sustainable policies and programmes that seek to bring about tangible improvements in the quality of your lives.

Ladies and gentlemen

This is the year of Oliver Reginald Tambo and the African National Congress has dedicated October, the birth month of President Oliver Reginald Tambo, to celebrate a life of one of the greatest amongst that generation of great freedom fighters.

Oliver R Tambo once remarked that, “A nation that does not care for its youth has no future and does not deserve one”. We know the youth of our country are the most precious resource, without their energy, creativity and youthfulness, there can be no future. Therefore, cognisant of this fact, the development of young people will always remain a key priority of this Administration.

Given this, we will scale up our efforts and programmes aimed at young people. The commitment to youth issues is evident as we move the young men and women of this province forward. We should also bear in mind that it remains our collective responsibility as government, private sector and civil society to address the challenges facing our young people. For this to happen, we must work together to create community infrastructure that will respond to the developmental challenges of our young people.  Many of our young people leave the province in search of developmental opportunities. Our role is therefore to ensure that we create space and opportunity for young people to develop their untapped potential and help us achieve radical economic transformation.

We are prioritising youth development and the National Development Plan singles out our youthful population as an opportunity to boost economic growth, increase employment and reduce poverty. Initiatives such as the this Youth Skills Development Programme, which is an artisan and technical training programme, will thus go a long way in addressing the technical skills shortages in the Province and creating an economically active youth.

We also resolved on the review of all government youth development programmes, their nature and scale in order to identify the gaps and appropriate interventions to address the gaps.

Further to this, we are also in the process of drafting the Northern Cape Integrated Youth Development Strategy.  This will be the very first Youth Development Strategy for the Province aligned to the vision of the National Youth Policy 2020 that seeks to ensure integrated, holistic and sustainable youth development. This plan is conscious of the historical imbalances and current imbalances and current realities and strives to build a non-sexist, non-racist, democratic South Africa in which young people and their organisations not only enjoy and contribute to their full potential in the social, economic and political spheres of life but also recognise and develop their responsibilities to build a better life for all.

Dames en here,

My kernboodskap aan u vandag is om hierdie geleentheid met altwee hande aan te gryp. Aan die einde van die dag sal jou vordering afhang van hoe jy jouself sal motiveer om hierdie program aan te pak. Die pad na ‘n beter lewe verg harde werk. Dit verg dissipline, toewyding en ywer. Dit vereis ook geduld en verantwoordelikheid. Daar is beslis geen ander manier.

U moet ook besef dat u die sleutel hou om ‘n wonderlike toekoms te ontsluit. Ek wil vra dat julle nie julself moet besig hou met doelose dinge wat julle ontneem om te word wat julle bestem is om te wees en dit is die voertuig van vooruitgang. Drank en dwelms is die ewel wat julle weerhou om julle potensiaal te bereik.

Our communities are under siege by ruthless drug dealers but these drug peddlers are supported by mostly young people who not only destroy their chances to a bright and promising future, but in the process destroy those around them. Government alone cannot stop the scourge and devastation drugs cause. It requires of all of us to stand together and put a stop to this. If there is no market for drugs then no one will sell. We should not allow these dealers to prosper by freely conducting their illicit business without fear in our communities.

And here I would appeal to communities as well. Let us end this evil, but let us do it in the proper and legal way. Report these people to the authorities. Do not take matters in your own hands. Do not support these businesses and focus on the future of tomorrow. There is no doubt that you are the future, but please let that future be bright.

Teenage pregnancies is another cause for concern and here I want to caution our young ladies to first think of your future and that of the children you want to have. Unplanned pregnancies have a detrimental effect on the future of young ladies. Be wise. Wait for the time when you can afford to raise a child. A child should be born out of love and not by mistake. Be able to raise and take care of a child and not be reliant on government to raise your child for you. Think twice please. Be careful and always be mindful that an unplanned pregnancy can hamper your goals.

I want to reiterate what I said earlier and that is that his ANC led government remains committed to the youth of the country. The future is yours. You are the leaders of tomorrow. The challenge is drawn- it is for you to step to the plate and claim it. Make it yours and lead us to greater heights. Let the blood, sweat and tears of your fathers and their fathers not be in vain. Make them proud and make South Africa proud. Take your rightful place in society and become the great generation you are destined to be.

I thank you