“Today's youth must draw inspiration from the youth of the past, who also demonstrated the magnitude and power of young people when they are united to combat social injustices. As Peter Abrahams once observed, 'You can't walk alone ... Each man is embedded in his people, their history, their culture, and their values.”
With the youth making up the majority of the population , it was incumbent on all sectors of society to collaborate in equipping the youth with the skills necessary for development and collective prosperity.
“If we fail to do so, we would have failed South Africa's future, as young people represent the future, and it is our responsibility to secure it. As we work with the private sector, towards an inclusive economy that employs young people, we recognise that the path to an inclusive economy has not been simple, but like the youth of 1976, we are motivated by their undying spirit,” Mashatile said.
He said the government has placed the education and training of young people at the top of its agenda, saying it believes education is one of the most crucial enabling factors for attaining economic emancipation.
“Over the years, we have invested hugely towards a transformed education system. We will continue to invest in the development of an inclusive education system in which children from low-income and working-class families also have access to quality education from the foundation phase and at higher education levels,” he said.
Mashatile said the government was concerned the economy is not expanding at a rate that permits the economic development of a large number of people, especially the youth.
“It is for this reason that we are committing to accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future. In addition to existing government programmes of supporting entrepreneurs, through the NYDA grant programme, we are providing young entrepreneurs with access to both financial and non-financial business development support to enable them to establish or grow their businesses.”
He said there were practical examples of social compacting at work to respond to youth unemployment and to give young people the necessary experience to get ahead.
“Our initiatives, strategies, and programmes are geared towards providing a hand-up, as opposed to a handout. We believe that when we give the youth a hand-up, you enable them to see something inside themselves that they did not previously see. The goal is to make sure that young people see a chance that didn't exist before and know that they can do more than they thought they could before.”
To keep young people active and engaged in society, government must tap into their creative potential and expand the range of options accessible to them, he said.
“As you are all aware, young people are yearning for socioeconomic chances, and South Africa will only grow stronger if we continue to provide opportunities to our youth.”
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'We are determined to ensure youth have access to socioeconomic opportunities': Mashatile
Image: GCIS.
Deputy president Paul Mashatile said on Friday the government was determined to ensure the youth have access to socioeconomic opportunities.
Speaking at a Youth Day commemoration event in Mangaung, Mashatile said he was thankful to the youth of 1976 for their contribution to the social and political transformation of the nation.
“This is a significant event in our nation's calendar because it allows us to pay tribute to the young men and women whose lives were cut short at the hands of the inhumane apartheid regime.”
He said they were driven by a resolve to bring down apartheid in favour of a nonracial, non-sexist, democratic, united and prosperous South Africa.
“We stand on the shoulders of giants. Their undying spirit and commitment to ending apartheid helped pave the way for a more equitable education system in South Africa. Because of them, the youth in schools are not compelled to acquire an inferior education in the language that has been imposed upon them.”
Mashatile said in honour of that generation, government has developed a system that is conducive to learning and as a result, many students are now able to choose the career of their choice.
He added that young people now have the prospect of going to higher education training institutions, which are also supported by the state.
“Moreover, the youth of 1976 fought for their political freedom. Now we must fight for economic freedom, thus, the theme for this year is 'Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future.”
He said the government was aware economic independence was only attainable if people worked together.
“Today's youth must draw inspiration from the youth of the past, who also demonstrated the magnitude and power of young people when they are united to combat social injustices. As Peter Abrahams once observed, 'You can't walk alone ... Each man is embedded in his people, their history, their culture, and their values.”
With the youth making up the majority of the population , it was incumbent on all sectors of society to collaborate in equipping the youth with the skills necessary for development and collective prosperity.
“If we fail to do so, we would have failed South Africa's future, as young people represent the future, and it is our responsibility to secure it. As we work with the private sector, towards an inclusive economy that employs young people, we recognise that the path to an inclusive economy has not been simple, but like the youth of 1976, we are motivated by their undying spirit,” Mashatile said.
He said the government has placed the education and training of young people at the top of its agenda, saying it believes education is one of the most crucial enabling factors for attaining economic emancipation.
“Over the years, we have invested hugely towards a transformed education system. We will continue to invest in the development of an inclusive education system in which children from low-income and working-class families also have access to quality education from the foundation phase and at higher education levels,” he said.
Mashatile said the government was concerned the economy is not expanding at a rate that permits the economic development of a large number of people, especially the youth.
“It is for this reason that we are committing to accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future. In addition to existing government programmes of supporting entrepreneurs, through the NYDA grant programme, we are providing young entrepreneurs with access to both financial and non-financial business development support to enable them to establish or grow their businesses.”
He said there were practical examples of social compacting at work to respond to youth unemployment and to give young people the necessary experience to get ahead.
“Our initiatives, strategies, and programmes are geared towards providing a hand-up, as opposed to a handout. We believe that when we give the youth a hand-up, you enable them to see something inside themselves that they did not previously see. The goal is to make sure that young people see a chance that didn't exist before and know that they can do more than they thought they could before.”
To keep young people active and engaged in society, government must tap into their creative potential and expand the range of options accessible to them, he said.
“As you are all aware, young people are yearning for socioeconomic chances, and South Africa will only grow stronger if we continue to provide opportunities to our youth.”
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