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Date : 11/07/2003
Source: Ministry of Social Development
Title: Skweyiya: World Population Day


SPEECH BY THE MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT, DR. ZOLA SKWEYIYA, ON THE COMMEMORATION OF WORLD POPULATION DAY (WPD), 11 July 2003

Programme Director
Resident Coordinator of the United Nations
Population Fund (UNFPA), Mr George Ntsiah
Chairperson of the National Youth Commission
President of the South African Youth Council
Representatives of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund
Representatives of the Government and academic institutions
Members of the various faith-based organisations, NGOs and CBOs
Ladies and Gentlemen
Comrades and Friends

It is a great pleasure and privilege for me to be here with you and to give focus on young people as part of commemorating World Population Day (WPD). The fact that this year's WPD gives particular attention to the youth of the world is indeed significant and instructive.

Youthfulness is a gift that should be treasured and enjoyed to the fullest as it is an experience that does not last forever. A characteristic of being young is that one is forward looking. The young are those most likely to have big plans and ambitions. The young constitute the hopes, dreams and aspirations that we all have for the future.

The United Nations estimates that about one billion youth of the world is entering adolescence this year. They enter this important stage faced with both immense opportunities as well as challenges offered by humanity's development. There are abundant opportunities in the 21st century for social, economic and political advancement as well as the realisation of positive individual and societal ambitions and goals. Yet alongside, there are also threats like poverty, HIV/AIDS, conflicts, illiteracy and teenage pregnancies that the youth ought to guard against.

Programme Director, the young are blessed with huge supplies of irrepressible energy, vibrancy and initiative. However, their dynamism needs to be nurtured and responsibly channelled. No country can afford to have an unfocused or undisciplined young population.

Without the appropriate guidance, assistance, and direction, the young can easily lose direction and degenerate into criminals and other forms of deviance that will be harmful to the whole of society.

This week, the Census SA report was released. It revealed 44,8 million people lived in South Africa in 2002. It also emerged that young people comprise a huge proportion of our population. Almost 70% of our population are 35 years and younger. In other words, almost seven out of every ten South Africans are under 35 years. Whichever way one looks at it, we are a young country and coincidentally with a young ten year democracy. We therefore ought to be vibrant and develop speedily towards the goal of building a better life for all.

It is absolutely critical therefore that the needs of the young people be factored at the top and all levels of government planning. I am proud to say that since 1994, the ANC-led government has made great advances in the way in which it deals with the interests of young people.

Since the advent of democracy, young people have had much greater freedoms to express themselves. Young people today are presented with far more possibilities and opportunities than in the past. Be it in relation to access to education, health, housing, water and other social services. It is indeed very exciting to be young in this country and to engage with numerous forms of development that are occurring here. By making use of some lateral thinking and taking initiative and full advantage of what our democracy offers, the sky is the limit for any young South African.

The commemoration of Youth Month in June, including the National Youth Day on 16 June 2003, and WPD today and during July, is underpinned by the South African Youth Policy. This policy in turn was informed and influenced by the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo, Egypt. SA is a co-signatory to the Programme of Action that emanated from the ICPD. That event signalled a new era in the filed of population and development by placing population at the centre of development and making it the driving force and ultimate beneficiary of development.

The population policy rests on two pillars

Firstly, it requires that population factors be integrated systematically into all policies, plans, programmes and strategies that are aimed at enhancing the quality of life of the people at all levels and within all sectors and institutions of government and society as a whole. Secondly, it promotes a coordinated, multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary and integrated approach in designing and implementing programmes and interventions that impact on population concerns.

Some of the population concerns are:

* A poor knowledge base on development relationships
* The limited use of population data in formulating, implementing, monitoring and evaluating plans and programmes for the population
* Lack of adequate investments to meet the needs of the large numbers of young people and the growing number of elderly persons
* The reduced human development potential because of the high incidence of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies,
* High rates of infant maternal mortality, linked to high risk child bearing
* The rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, (STDs) especially HIV/AIDS, and the projected socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS including the rise in child-headed households,
* High levels of unemployment and poverty and the consequential moral degeneration

We are all aware that many young people still live in poverty. With this in mind, the government is in the process of creating a comprehensive social security. This includes social grants like the Child Support Grant, and the Foster Care Grant; the Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Programme (IFSNP) and the Public Works Programme.

Annually, the government allocates no less than R1, 7 billion for poverty relief programmes. Since October last year, following the spiral in food prices, the government has further allocated R1,2 billion over the next three years for the Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Programme. Furthermore, the DSD has been allocated over R65 million this financial year to mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS through strengthening home and community-based care.

In addition, youth focused programmes and structures meant to enhance youth development like the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund have been established.

However, we know that the challenges that remain are enormous. It is critical that further efforts should be put into increasing youth employment opportunities. The challenge is to ensure that government and all stakeholders in the whole youth sector continue to accelerate the implementation of the integrated human resource development strategy. Particular attention must be given to the development of the sorts of skills that are most required by the economy.

Another critical focus is to intensify the volunteer campaign and to encourage a cadre of young community development workers. The volunteer campaign has been particularly successful in the activities of the DSD. Thousands of young volunteers have grasped the vision of uplifting communities living in poverty and other forms of vulnerability in the country. I am especially grateful to the young volunteers who have worked with our provincial officials to increase the number of children who are registered for the CSG. Young people living in rural areas of our least developed provinces, especially Limpopo and the Eastern Cape, have been exemplary in their selfless service to the poorest of the poor in their communities, including helping in the distribution of food parcels and helping the elderly.

To date we have over 2,88 million children registered for the CSG, thanks to those selfless efforts. This is very significant given that in 1999 we had only 60 000 children registered. This kind of volunteer service to the country will result in us achieving our common goal of building a better life for all sooner rather than later. I urge all young people to get involved and emulate these noble efforts by ensuring that all children whom they know to be eligible for grants are receiving them. All it takes on your part is to go house to house, spread the news in your family, street, neighbouring school, faith institution, recreation centre, work place and the community at large, that all children under nine years this year whose families have little or no regular income, can and must be registered to receive their R160 monthly CSG. I also implore the youth of our country to work closely with the School Governing Bodies to monitor and ensure that the School Nutrition Programme works well in your community.

We also appeal to the youth to join and strengthen the campaign register all South Africans at birth and urge all of you to have IDs.

South Africa, through its Constitution, legislations and policies is saying that the youth of this country deserves to be afforded equal social, economic and educational opportunities to better their lives.

We are aware that not all young people have embraced the opportunities afforded them by government. Some have opted for lives of crime, involvement in drugs, and irresponsible sexual behaviour. Many of these have landed in prison. We cannot also deny the prevalence amongst youth of poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, rural and urban disequilibria, and general moral degeneration. Certainly, the environment in which one grows has an influence on one's decisions and one's life course. Government is thus pouring resources into the eradication of these social ills.

Nevertheless, it is ultimately the choice of the individual whether he or she is to become part of the problem or part of the solution. Investing time in activities such as the national youth service and volunteering for community projects or the acquisition of useful skills and knowledge. If a young person is willing to channel effort, energy and perseverance into constructive activities then he or she will reap the benefits. There is no gain without some sort of pain. Those who are prepared to roll up their sleeves and work hard when they are still young, will be the success stories of tomorrow. They will be the heroes and heroine celebrated like, as well as continuing the tradition of such greats as Oliver Tambo, Dorothy Nyembe, Steve Biko, Griffiths and Victoria Mxenge, Chris Hani, Solomon Mahlangu and not least Nelson Mandela.

We must use this important gathering today to salute the young people of the previous generations who left the country of their birth; went into prison and even paid the supreme price so that there can be democracy and freedom that we now all enjoy in SA, black and white.

We also salute the many young people of our country who on a daily basis are striving for the achievement of a better life for all. I mention organisations such as the NYC, the South African Youth Council and Umsobomvu Youth Fund.

Ladies and Gentlemen, an important achievement of the Growth and Development Summit held recently was the government's commitment to finalise a learnership programme targeted at unemployed and unemployable youth.

Through this programme, it is envisaged that unemployed youth will have an opportunity to acquire relevant skills to make it possible for them to be absorbed into the labour market. Closely related to the issue of skills among our youth is that of youth entrepreneurship. As government we continue to pay attention to programmes aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship. Government has opportunities for young people. We are also involved in efforts aimed at offering training to young entrepreneurs wishing to establish small to medium businesses. At the Youth Day rally in Witbank, President Thabo Mbeki said that the challenges that confront the youth are being taken seriously. These include:

* empowerment,
* youth development, business support
* information provisioning,
* voluntarism and
* participation in community youth services.

To respond to these challenges, the government stated that two youth development programmes will be considered in 2003. These are the National Youth Service Programme and the Integrated Youth Entrepreneurship Development Programme.

The National Youth Service Programme will play a catalyst role in enhancing the skills of youth whilst they are involved in economic activities. It will complement existing learnership, Social Development, Health and Public Works Programmes. The Community Based Public Works Programme makes resources available to young people to participate in the rehabilitation of public buildings for the benefit of people with disabilities. Through access to economic opportunities presented by the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, young people will be assisted to access finance, business support and requisite education and training opportunities to start and sustain their own businesses.

Young people of SA, you are not only our future. You are a critical part of present and you are highly valued. We salute you.

Ours is to ensure through the commemoration of WPD and such related activities we open opportunities that make us as a nation have the:

* Youth that is actively participating in the social, political and economic development of our country
* Youth that will take an active part in enhancing accelerated sustainable socio-economic development for a better life for all
* Youth that will always uphold the rights of, and assist and empower the most vulnerable sectors like people with disabilities, older persons, abused women and children
* Youth that will work towards turning the tide and build a people's contract to strengthen families and communities for a better life for children
* Youth that will rapidly advance the realisation of the goals of the African Union and NEPAD,
* Youth that will assist the country in achieving soonest the objectives and goals of the Growth and Development Summit within the context of the WSSD and the Millennium Declaration Goals.

These type of youth qualities can only emerge if we all work together and build strong partnerships with and amongst youth formations; business; labour, NGOs, CBOs, FBOs, the media, civil society, al spheres of government and most importantly, the communities at large.

This year's theme for WPD in SA viz. "1000 000 000 Adolescents-Building a Social Contract for Sustainable Youth Development" must therefore serve as a call to action for all of us to help build a South Africa and a world fit for children.

Thank you

For more information contact: Mbulelo Musi on 012-312-7654, 082-904-3395, FAX: 27-12-312-7943, E-mail: Mbulelo.Musi@socdev.gov.za
Issued by Ministry of Social Development
11 July 2003

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