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PRETORIA - The Minister of Public Works, Ms Stella Sigcau, will be officially launching the Youth for Environmental Accessibility Programme projects at the Indoor Sports Centre in Grahamstown on Saturday, 17 March 2001.

The R50 million programmes funded by the Department of Public Works recruited and employed youth on a volunteer basis to work on construction projects to build ramps and other access facilities for disabled persons. This will facilitate easy accessibility for people with disability to government and other public buildings.

A total of 267 buildings have undergone some modifications around the country and in the process 420 youth were afforded job opportunities and training in various technical skills including life skills. In Grahamstown there are 20 projects worth R4 million.

The Youth for Environmental Accessibility Programme is the first of five pilot projects to be implemented around the country and is intended to kick-start the establishment of a National Youth Service Programme of the National Youth Commission (NYC).

The NYC Chairperson, Jabu Mbalula, states that the project seeks to provide a long term and effective means of reconstructing our society whilst simultaneously developing the abilities of young people through service and learning.

The programme, which targeted young persons in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Province, has two primary aims; piloting the concept of the National Youth Service and making public buildings accessible to disabled persons.

Key stakeholders in the programme are the Department of Public Works, the National Youth Commission and the Office of the Status of Disabled Persons.

The Youth for Environmental Accessibility Programme aims to harness the energies of younger people participating in the programme, ensuring they derive the benefit of technical training while carrying modifications to public buildings

The training, which is compliant with the relevant SETA requirements, will enable young people to pursue a career in a specific trade to benefit from adequate preparation. This kind of training forms an integral part of the plan to establish a National Youth Service, which will afford young people the opportunity of being of service to the nation and becoming responsible citizens.

Amongst the projects to be visited by the Minister will be a local primary school named after Makana Nxele the Xhosa warrior who played a prominent role in the 5th Frontier War. He later gained chiefly status when he was installed by Ndlambe as a chief.

Makana subsequently led the Xhosa army of 10 000 warriors in military attack on Grahamstown. The colonists vanquished Makana's troops and he subsequently handed himself over to the colonial forces in 1818 and was banished to Robben Island for life. In 1820 he was drowned when the boat, which he was using, overturned while trying to escape. Grahamstown is still remembered by both the Xhosa and colonist descendants for the battle of Makanaskop.

Contact: Lucky Mochalibane at 082 8999 9775 or NYC's Monde Mkalipi at 082 575 3976 or Eastern Cape Youth Commission Chairperson Thembekile Machelesi at 083 364 6763.

Issued jointly by the Department of Public Works, the National and Eastern Cape Youth Commissions

15 March 2001