Issued by GCIS
5 June 2000
June 16, South Africa's National Youth Day activities will be held in the province of KwaZulu-Natal under the flagship of the National Youth Commission (NYC) as from Friday, 02 June until June 16 2000. The NYC, after consultation with youth organisations, took a decision that June 16 celebrations/commemorations must be preceded by a series of build-up activities ranging from solemn to fun, urban and rural.
"As we begin this century, the African Century, the NYC's decision to declare June 2000 a youth Month is inspired by methods youth of 1976 employed in mobilizing the youth sector to advance noble courses to develop our society. This year, the youth sector unanimously agreed that the fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS must occupy the top of the agenda in the quest for a better South Africa. Hence the agreed upon theme says "Youth Fighting HIV/AIDS into the African Century"", said the NYC Chairperson, Hlengiwe Bhengu, at the unveiling of the Youth Month programme in Durban yesteday.
A rural outreach component of the programme will take place in the rural community of Enkandla north of KwaZulu-Natal on Friday, 09 June 2000. Youth role models such as Arthur and Abashante are expected to entertain the crowds in the road show, Jikeleza, whose primary purpose is to educate the community on the dangers of unprotected sex, particularly HIV/AIDS. "Unlike other provinces where HIV/AIDS incidents are common in the urban areas, the KwaZulu- Natal province experiences a situation where reported HIV/AIDS incidents are common in both urban and rural communities", said Ms Bhengu.
The NYC, in an attempt to encourage youth to strive for excellence, not only in sport, but in the quest for a better tomorrow, has included as part of the Youth Month programme a Youth Fun Run, which will be held at the Pietermaritzburg Cricket Oval on Saturday, 10 June 2000 under the theme "Youth Running For Life".
Another build-up component of the programme will take place in Reginah Mundi in Soweto, where a church service will be held to remember those young heroes and heroines, who laid their lives to liberate the current and future generations. Ms Bhengu explicitly put it that in order for our country to succeed in the quest for reconciliation the society must fully pay tribute to those young people, who laid their lives for our freedom, especially those who had no choice but to be on the receiving side of the oppressive policies of the past. Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa, the Deputy Minister of Education, will preside over the proceedings.
In the light of the forthcoming XIII International Aids Conference to be held in Durban in July 2000, the NYC has invited youth leaders to a National Youth HIV/AIDS Indaba to be held at the Holiday Inn Garden Court North Beach: Durban on 13-14 June 2000. The key objective of this gathering is enable young people to break the silence on the impact cultural practices such as virginity testing (ukuhlolwa), thigh test (ukusoma) and circumcision (ulwaluko) have on the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
The National Youth Day, the climax of the Youth Month programme, will commence with a march from the Durban City Hall to Curries Fountain Stadium on Friday, June 16 at 07:30am. President Thabo Mbeki, Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Mr Lionel Mtshali, and the National Youth Commission Chairperson will address the Nation on the role South Africa's youth are expected to play in the development of our country and the Continent. The central role youth should play in the fight against HIV/AIDS will dominate their speeches.
To conclude the proceedings at the Stadium, local artists will immediately take the stage to entertain the crowds. Toping the list of performers are the South Africa's best artists in the likes of Senyaka, Boom Shaka, and other popular groups in the province such as Isixaxa Mbiji.
During the luncheon to be hosted by the Mayor of the Durban Metropolitan Council, Mr O B Mlaba, the NYC will launch a book entitled "Celebrating Youth Awakenings". This is a National Youth Commission project, which involves a compilation of stories written by young people of South Africa edited by Layla Cassim, a young person who was expelled from Crawford College in Johannesburg for writing an essay on the struggle for the liberation of Palestine.
The magnitude of the programme has necessitated the NYC to approach a number of sponsors to support these activities financially or otherwise most of who have indicated an interest. After fruitful briefing meetings representatives of these organisations have indicated that they are engaged in the process of making decisions on the matter.
For comments please contact NYC's Monde Mkalipi on 082 575 3976.
Issued by Government Communications (GCIS) on behalf of the National Youth Commission