The President of the Pan-African Youth Union, Mr Yershen Pillay,

Gauteng Premier David Makhura,

Deputy Minister in the Presidency, Mr Buti Manamela

Representatives of African Youth Ministries present here,

Esteemed delegates,

 

It gives me great pleasure to address the fourth Congress of the Pan-African Youth Union.

 

Let me welcome all delegates from sister countries in the continent on behalf of the government and all the people of South Africa.

 

We are very happy to host African youth in our country.

 

Your congress meets alongside that of the oldest liberation movement in the continent the African National Congress. This makes it an important week in which we engage with the youth of the African continent on important matters of building a better Africa.

 

This congress in particular is very important because it gives the Pan African Union the opportunity to reflect on matters of youth development across the length and breadth of our continent.

This task is important because we firmly believe in the African Union, that Africa’s greatest resource is its youthful population.

It is reported that Africa is the youngest continent in the world, and that about 70% of the population is 30 years of age or younger. We thus pride ourselves in Africa of having more than 600 million young people.

It is appropriate therefore that you meet under an appropriate theme, “Youth Moving Africa Forward!”.

It means you are conscious of the challenges that this continent faces, and the role you should play in helping the African Union to confront these challenges successfully.

While many African countries have made good progress with regards to socio-economic development, the majority of African youth continue to face unemployment, underemployment and inadequate access to education, health care, housing and other social necessities.

This situation is even more pronounced among youth in rural areas or the countryside.

The Pan African Youth Union is therefore a necessary platform for an assertive youth voice that is able to galvanize the African youth to speak in unison on how they can access these services.

Africa achieved independence from colonialism and now remains the intensive struggle for economic emancipation and socio-economic development.

In 1963, Organisation of African Unity founding father, Kwame Nkrumah summarised aptly the challenges that face a free Africa.

He said: “On this continent, it has not taken us long to discover that the struggle against colonialism does not end with the attainment of national independence.

“Independence is only the prelude to a new and more involved struggle for the right to conduct our own economic and social affairs, to construct our society according to our aspirations, unhampered by crushing and humiliating neo-colonialist controls and interference’’.

Africa is thus at this stage of working to reconstruct her economic and social affairs and indeed to rebuild our continent into one in which all have an improved quality of life.

Your presence at this congress to explore the role you need to play in the Continent in driving sustainable growth and development is therefore commendable. 

The African Union declared 2009 – 2019 as the decade of youth development in Africa. It is in your hands therefore, to champion economic transformation and the sustainable development of Africa.

The view that Africa’s time has come with respect to economic growth is accurate.

Africa continues to record strong economic growth, despite the weaker global economic environment.

At the same time, there are obstacles to growth.

While Africa’s growth forecasts remains very positive, we require a major increase in infrastructure investment to alleviate growth constraints.

The African Union has mapped out Africa’s infrastructure challenges through the development of the programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa, the AU NEPAD Africa Action Plan, the NEPAD Presidential Infrastructure Championing Initiative, as well as the Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plans. These Plans have identified priority infrastructure development projects.

 

The AU is also promoting regional and market integration will help lower transport costs, make goods and persons move faster and more effectively, grow our markets, allow for more diversification and encourage optimization of resources.

 

Also high on the African agenda is the industrialization of the continent and the move to derive more value from our mineral resources through beneficiation.

 

I am raising this with you because I believe that African youth should not think that economic matters are for the African Union only.

 

We need your contribution to discuss ways in which the continent can be able to utilize its resources and raw materials more profitably instead of enriching the world where these resources are sent without promoting self-reliance and sustainability locally.

 

I also trust that the PYU prioritises education because you will need the necessary skills to lead Africa’s economic regeneration.

 

The African Youth Charter and the priorities of the AU Agenda 2063 provide the vision of the Africa we want to build towards prosperity and socio-economic development.

 

The African Union’s Agenda 2063 was developed in order to galvanize and unite in action all Africans and the Diaspora around the common vision of a peaceful, integrated and prosperous Africa.

 

As leaders of young Africans, you have a pivotal role to play in accelerating the pace towards the achievement of the objectives encapsulated in Agenda 2063.

 

Agenda 2063 is premised on Pan-Africanism and the rebirth of the African Continent. It promotes the restoration of values of human solidarity, Ubuntu, Self-Pride, Self-determination, Non-Sexism, Non-Tribalism and the celebration of our diversity.

 

Your programmes must take these values into account both in content and in form.

You must individually and collectively espouse these values in your conduct in order to propel the African continent onto a higher development trajectory.

This is even more important because you, the African youth, represent the future of Africa.

You must discuss and find innovative ways to ensure that African resources are optimally used for the benefit of all Africans.

It is therefore incumbent upon the youth to forge unity amongst themselves and use their energy and drive to ensure the total success of the Agenda 2063.

 

You are the future of Africa.

 

We look up to you to begin now building the Africa of the future.

 

You will be the torchbearers in 2063 and you will be expected to hand over the baton of a better Africa to the youth then.

 

The Africa you will hand over to the younger generations in 2063 should be free from war and conflict, disease, hunger, homelessness, extreme poverty and all other social ills engineered and sustained by actions of human beings.

 

It must be an Africa that is at peace with itself in every corner.  While Africa is making progress economically, there still exists pockets of conflict around the continent.

 

Many young people are affected by the conflicts and have been displaced or have lost their loved ones.

 

More importantly, some young people including child soldiers are used in some of the conflicts.  South Africa has since 1994 contributed to many peacemaking and peacekeeping efforts in the continent because we believe that a peaceful Africa will be able to march towards economic freedom. Africans have the right to live in peace and harmony like all other peoples of the world.

The African Union has various peacekeeping and peacemaking programmes and initiatives that the youth can and should participate in. We need your contribution.

You also meet during a period of marking 16 days of activism of no violence against women and children in this country.

This is yet another campaign that is relevant in any part of the continent and one that African youth should consider becoming part of. The abuse of women in both peace and conflict times is unacceptable and should be eradicated.

Delegates,

As young people you should also remember that borders need not separate you from one another.

You need to work together as youth from different countries and share experiences.

 

We are encouraged by efforts undertaken by the National Youth Development Agency in South Africa together with the Namibian National Youth Service by establishing a South Africa- Namibia Youth Exchange Project.

 

The partnership is aimed at providing opportunities for the youth of the two countries to develop skills in community development work as well as learning of best practice in the field of youth development.

These are the types of programmes and initiatives that should drive our resolve towards ensuring that young people actively contribute towards their development and ultimately Africa’s development.

Esteemed delegates,

We are calling upon you to take forward the African Renaissance and the regeneration of the continent.

We have done as much as we can and we continue to try our best as the leadership of the African Union. However, we look to the youth of Africa to become more focused and more aware of the challenges facing this beautiful continent so that you can be ready to take Africa to greater heights.

In this regard, let me remind you of the profound words that form part of the African Union Anthem:

"O Sons and Daughters of Africa, Flesh of the sun and flesh of the sky, let us make Africa the tree of life."

The Anthem continues to say:

"Let us all unite and celebrate together. The victories won for our liberation. Let us dedicate ourselves to rise together to defend our liberty and unity."

 

Esteemed delegates,

 

Welcome to South Africa. We wish you all the best in your deliberations.

 

I thank you.