STATEMENT BY DEPUTY MINISTER BUTI MANAMELA ON INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY
The United Nations General Assembly endorsed that 12 August be declared International Youth Day. Deputy Minister Buti Manamela has encouraged young people to observe and celebrate this day.
The theme of the 2016 International Youth Day is “The Road to 2030: Eradicating Poverty and Achieving Sustainable Consumption and Production”. The 2016 youth day is about achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It focuses on the leading role of young people in ensuring poverty eradication and achieving sustainable development through sustainable consumption and production.
South Africa has long heeded the call by the United Nations and the Commonwealth Youth Programme for its member nations to develop National Youth Policies. The policies would serve as seminal instruments to guide member states' responses to youth development and to meet the needs and aspirations of young people.
South Africa’s National Youth Policy 2015 - 2020 (NYP2020) is admired for its consultation process with young people, making it a “youth-owned” policy. The NYP 2020 further identified key youth development priorities and interventions needed to address these priorities.
Deputy Minister Manamela underscored the important role that young people must play towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and ensuring that the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a youth driven agenda. “Young people bring energy, passion and innovation to development problems that have long plagued our societies. We must draw upon their strength and enthusiasm as they model sustainable consumption and production practices” said Manamela.
The NYP 2020 recognises the challenges of poverty, unemployment and inequality and its pervasive impacts on youth. Youth entrepreneurship is being stimulated through the NYDA’s grant programme and the IDC and SEFA continues to support young entrepreneurs through the R2.7 billion Youth Entrepreneurship Fund. Job placements are being intensified through public sector internships as well as civil society programmes such as Harambee.
Public employment interventions through the Expanded Public Works Programme and Community Works Programme continues to recruit youth and provides a safety net for income realisation and enhanced youth employability. Government is increasing the number of artisans trained through the TVET system with NSFAS providing more financial aid to needy students than ever before. “As government we are working tirelessly for the development of young people, but more needs to be done. We will intensify our efforts and scale up programmes that have demonstrated impact to create more opportunities for our young women and men” said Manamela.
Enquiries: Matshepo Seedat on 082 679 9473 or Matshepo@presidency.gov.za
ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY IN THE PRESIDENCY ON 12AUGUST 2016
