Speech by Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Mr Sibusiso Ndebele during Youth Parliament held in Kwadukuza

President of the African National Congress (ANC), Oliver Tambo, once said and I quote, "A society that does not invest in its youth does not deserve its future". We are gathered here today as part of the Youth Month that seeks to highlight government programmes on youth. Addressing challenges facing youth today cannot be limited to one month in a year, but must be part of an integrated youth development programme supported by initiatives of government in its entirety. Under a democratic dispensation, youth face new challenges. As a provincial government, the following are some of our specific interventions for the upliftment of youth in our province to meet some of the challenges:

In the Department of Health the government has youth who provide home-based care. The Department also provides bursaries for training in the medical field The Department of Social Welfare and Population Development also provides bursaries to train youth in social work. This programme has started in several local universities. It also has social auxiliary workers who train youth in various aspects of social services. The department also trains youth in early childhood development and also to mentor orphaned and vulnerable children.

The Provincial Treasury runs a programme on the procurement of services that targets youth. The Department of Economic Development funds cooperatives that target youth entrepreneurs. The Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs runs several youth programmes that include piggery and the eradication of alien plants. The Department of Education, through its further education and training (FET) colleges provides technical skills to youth which include carpentry and plumbing in order to contribute to national programmes such as the Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) and the Joint Initiative for Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA).

The Department of Safety and Security will soon launch the anti-crime campaign with the initial deployment of up to 1 000 volunteers, most of whom will be youth. The Department of Local Government and Housing provides over 400 community development workers who have now been fully employed from all district municipalities. It also offers tenders to youth in the construction of houses. The Department of Works participates in the National Youth Service through the provision of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). Youth are also taken in for work relating to construction and repair of buildings and property development. This department also offers tenders specifically designed for the youth. In the Department of Transport, Youth participate in the Vukuzakhe Emerging Contractor programme that helps emerging road construction companies.

Growing the Economy

Because peace has come we are now able to attract billions in rand investment into our economy.
* the construction of the airport in Durban at a cost of over R6 billion
* the construction of the Dube Trade Port costing R4 billion
* the construction of an Iconic Soccer Stadium in Durban costing R2,2 billion
* the widening of the Durban Harbour and Port at R10billion in 10 years
* increasing expenditure on roads all over the province - at least R300 million
* hosting part of the 2010 FIFA World Cup programme
* the agrarian revolution as the basis of economic growth

These are just some of the major projects and programmes we are pursuing in our province. When one looks at our skyline over the next five years, you will continue to see cranes hoisted hundreds of metres above ground, caterpillars moving up and down as KwaZulu-Natal becomes one major construction site. This expenditure which is worth billions of rand, is unprecedented in the history of KwaZulu-Natal and comes on the back of robust economic growth never seen in our time. You will no doubt see women and men in the length and breadth of our province waking up in the morning to till the soil to produce massive supplies for the export hub at the Dube Tradeport. Trucks will continue to criss-cross our province delivering supplies and goods to the rest of the country as we move the economy from our sea front in tandem with the international markets.

In this environment we must see the acceleration of land reform initiatives and Black Economic Empowerment. Black Economic Empowerment will in part help us answer the question, what are we doing to bring new players as owners, managers, skills training candidates in the whole economy of our province? We have clearly moved from the war against oppression to the struggle against economic deprivation. In this environment the opportunities for the youth and the rest of all our people are endless. The opportunities in the infrastructure projects we have mentioned above are endless. We are not saying that our youth must know how to build an airport themselves and from scratch.

Skills development

In these projects we must ensure that critical skills are passed onto the youth. We are saying that youth can provide fuel supplies, cement, bricks, pipes, seats, decorations and many other products as part of the main suppliers or in cases where possible, on their own. As a province we have already identified the skills which are necessary to help us maintain our growth trajectory and successfully carry out the above projects. While we engage the Youth in these projects we must ensure that skills are transmitted to our young people. We have placed on learnership just under 900 people in the various sectors of our economy including construction, engineering and information technology (IT).

We currently have 100 learners on IT learnership for the disabled. They have completed their theoretical learning and are being placed in municipalities and provincial departments for experiential learning. This learnership is funded by the Information Systems, Electronics and Telecommunications Technologies (ISETT) Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA). The following further learnerships are in the process of being implemented:

530 EPWP Construction Learnerships including
* New Venture Creation learnerships
* construction contractor learnerships
* construction supervisor learnerships

There are 120 apprenticeships in manufacturing, engineering and related services. These apprenticeships include motor mechanics, welders, millwrights and refrigeration mechanics. There are 120 automotive sector learners covering millwrights, electricians, diesel fitters, electrical technicians, mechanical technicians, civil engineers and electrical engineers. All these above learnerships have been identified based on the programmes and projects which are part of the Growth and Development Strategy of KwaZulu-Natal. As indicated above, these include the Dube Trade Port, the airport in La Mercy, manufacturing, port expansion, soccer stadium and the EPWP.

Youth Commission

Earlier this year we launched the Provincial Youth Commission which has six full-time members. On an urgent basis we need to develop a Provincial Youth Service Plan. The Provincial Youth Commission (PYC) also needs to ensure that their structure is institutionalised. The proposed quick wins for the PYC are:
* To encourage the youth to enrol with Further Education and Training (FET) colleges for skills development. The Department of Education has allocated R600 million over three years for this purpose.
* to develop a social crime prevention project aimed at making youth ambassadors of a crime-free society
* to launch a general education campaign with objectives of addressing the drop out rate and reducing child pregnancy, this will target both boys and girls
* the formation of co-operatives directed at youth in line with the Integrated Development Plans.

The National Youth Commission (NYC) exists in order to do advocacy work on youth matters. The NYC has over the years condensed youth challenges into three i.e. employment creation, poverty alleviation and literacy campaign. As a result of the NYC's work we have seen a number of interventions from national government. These include the roll out of learnerships, additional funding towards the National Students Finance Aid Scheme, recruitment of unemployed youth into the Expanded Public Works Programme and opportunities arising out of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. The NYC has brought the private sector into Youth development in a bid to create employment and business opportunities for our young people. Other initiatives involve the youth in building social cohesion, building the soul of the nation and leading the Moral Regeneration Campaign.

The Youth Commission (PYC), however, has to be constituted in terms of the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Commission Act. The Act requires the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer. As government we will provide all the necessary administrative support for the PYC to function. The PYC as a public entity will report through the Premier to parliament and will now be able to do business in its own name including raising its own finances. This makes it possible for legislature and youth in general to monitor and hold accountable the PYC.

Some challenges to this progress

Our province has 4,2 million children (those under the age of 18 years) out of a 9 million total population. This means we can no longer beat about the bush when we talk to our children about HIV/AIDS. We must do more to ensure we create an HIV-free generation. We are also afflicted in this province by teenage pregnancies. Children should not be parents when they are supposed to be children themselves.

New Morality

This is where the Citizens Charter seeks to help us re-establish our communities and build individuals who will lead the growth of KwaZulu-Natal. In taking leading positions in KwaZulu-Natal, this new young citizen will also be leading the country and the rest of Africa. Like Oliver Tambo said, "A society that does not invest in its youth does not deserve its future."

I thank you.

Issued by: Office of the Premier, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
14 June 2007