Issued by: Gauteng Legislature
11 June 1997
Following on a tradition began last year, the Gauteng Legislature will host the Annual Youth Debate inside its official Debating Chamber, Selborne Hall, from 10h00 to 13h00 on Friday, 13 June 1997, as part of the country-wide programme to commemorate and observe the 21st Anniversary of the 16 June 1976 National Uprising. This will take place at the Legislature Building, corner President and Loveday Streets in Johannesburg.
Pupils from 18 Secondary Schools in Gauteng will participate in a Sitting of the House, for which they have elected a Speaker, Premier, 10 MECs, Leader of the House, Chairperson of Committees, Provincial Secretary, three political parties and their Whips. The debate will be on the following three issues:
1. Crime and capital punishment, 2. Rape and abortion, 3. Drug abuse among youth.
The 18 schools, each from one district in the province, have been selected by the Gauteng Education Department and are broadly representative of school demography in the province. The schools will all be represented by 2 pupils each in the Chamber. The pupils will group themselves into three parties, namely the Majority Party, Opposition Party and a Minority Party, without bearing overt or implied resemblance and identity to any of the 7 elected political parties represented in the Gauteng Legislature.
The Legislature's Standing Committee on Petitions and Public Participation, as well as the departments of Communication and Proceedings, and together with the Gauteng Education Department, have consulted closely and actively in planning this event. The exercise is part of a commitment towards deepening the understanding of democracy by demystifying the legislative process and optimising public access to the institution.
The Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Petitions and Public Participation, Mr Vusi Mavuso, will deliver the opening address