[ Home ] [ Speeches & statements ]

29 June 2007

At the outset I would like to express my complete appreciation for and support to this gathering today, which coincidentally marks the culmination of the 2007 youth month. To me youth activities should be for 365 days. This would enable us to be able to accelerate their participation in all sectors of government, and to realise the youth's full potential in contributing positively to the economy of this country.

I would like to couple empowerment with development; it is because development is not an event but a process. This process needs to ensure building a person through the different stages of life.

I am sure that what might have prompted the minds of people to bring about the issues on today's agenda is the realisation of the missing link with regard to the complete inclusion of youth issues in our planning and dealings. At the same time I am excited because my department is amongst those who diagnosed some of the ills in relation to the youth and their mainstreaming into government programmes and policies.

Last year when the department commemorated this day, it was during my first month as Minister here. The event coincided with my welcoming party and was one the very first events that I attended. The event also saw the birth of Youth in Energy and Mining (YEM) that I launched on the 23 June 2006. It is therefore the 1st anniversary of YEM and we are already taking stork of the progress they made in a year of their existence.

People should not undermine the importance of such organisations in reaching out to the people of our country and also for advocacy purposes; hence this is one of the greatest moves in the sector. A year after this I see great progress because of the partnerships between government and industry. My department is regulating two sectors and I hope that the youth will spread their focus in both sectors.

Our experience is that people always follow simple routes. It is my appeal to the youth to challenge even those difficult careers in mining and energy, preparing for those high positions in the two sectors. There are experienced people in both sectors who are not selfish and are ready to impart their knowledge. Be ready therefore as youth to learn from the best. We are prepared also as political leaders to offer our experiences as a concrete, positive contribution to the implementation of government's plan of action with regard to youth development programmes.

The Department of Mineral and Energy (DME) youth programmes are tailored and geared to cut down on the dependency syndrome that existed in the past. Therefore you have the power to shape your own destiny. As people discuss in their corners I am told that one topic that emerges frequently is whether it is still necessary for the youth of today to worry about the issues that the youth of 76' were compelled to worry about. These concerns included legislative issues like environment, freedom of speech, freedom of movement, political buy-in and so on. Out of this list, and looking at some of the privileges that we enjoy today, I would ask all of us in here as to whether we use these privileges for development or if some of us to the point of destruction. I do not expect an answer now, but I would like you to answer to yourselves and also satisfy yourselves that your answers are based on the truth.

As it happens in many instances, government is witnessing with grave concern the emergence of a phenomenon of non-consultation and lack of discussion or debate on issues that affect the youth. This phenomenon, if not attended to with urgency, will lead to unnecessary mistrust and disrespect.

In the past few years government has equipped itself with extremely innovative legislative instruments to counter every form of discrimination. We are also dedicating special attention to safeguard the potential victims by designing wider-ranging assistance and reintegration of programmes meant to support those who fall prey to any kind of discrimination.

In most departments, including Minerals and Energy, there are special programmes that are set up to assist the process of mainstreaming vulnerable groups within the policies and plans of government. As we do that we will need the assistance from the youth of South Africa to co-operate with us in our efforts to ensure that they benefit from the opportunities that were created by the legislative framework of the country in particular those that regulate the Minerals and Energy sectors.

Following the launch of Youth in Energy and Mining (YEM) a number of interactive sessions and capacity building programmes were initiated. These led to the industry also heading to the call of government to assist in accelerating the participation of youth in all sectors. The participation that I am talking about includes different levels and streams like economic participation, management and the actual engineering in both sectors

All the initiatives and programmes that I am talking about are the fruits of an ongoing dialogue between the government, youth, women and the disabled persons. We should remember that the youth, women and the disabled always have to go an extra mile to be considered for some of the benefits that are enjoyed by so-called mainstream citizens.

It is widely accepted that lack of income is not the only measure of poverty, but lack of relevant education or access thereto is a key role-player. I would therefore like to acknowledge with appreciation the contribution of the two mining houses, namely Xstrata and Anglo Platinum, who took a brave decision to contribute to the poverty eradication strategy of government by putting together programmes that that will assist youth to better their lives today and ultimately their future.

It is essential for government and the people of South Africa to acknowledge the essential role of the media in the dissemination of information on programmes that impact positively on the lives of young people. The media can only do that if we make enough noise about programmes like the ones I am launching today.

These programmes need to be known by all the youth of South Africa, up to the deep rural areas of our country. This will remove the issue of exclusion and also channel more constructive information to the media. It is felt by many among the youth, however that the mainstream media is underutilised when it comes to reporting of such positive news. In many cases young people or youth's leisure time relates directly to important issues affecting them including education and employment.

Allow me to be generational about this. You will realize that there is a need for today's youth to focus on the possibilities and positives that are surrounding them, depending on whether they do realize those. A few of these would entail an enabling legislative platform, availability of information through media, latest technology, and so on.

Taking these positives to the day in history when young people decided to deal with the impediments that were facing them at the time, we can realize that fora like this one today and the opportunities that come with them, were not available then. This might sound like a comparative statement, but it is a reality.

I listened to a young boy speaking at an occasion last week Sunday and I came to realise how the leadership of tomorrow can be seen today. I was convinced that a leader is born and not made.

Having said this I would want to appeal to the youth gathered in here today that while government, industry and society at large are working hard to see you fully benefiting from the fruits of the hard earned freedom fought for by the likes of the youth of 1796, morals will remain key to the sustenance of this freedom. We do not do all that government is doing on the basis of international laws or treaties. South Africa is way ahead and we are the envy of many countries on legislation and policies, but more so, on the type of Constitution that we have.

The issue of morals is bigger than religious practices or political activities. The tidal wave of history recognizes no geographical boundaries, social traditions, status or age. This makes it very important for the youth to make correct calculations of the actions and utterances they make in their organisations and public forums.

It will never be enough for us to remember our youth only during the month of June. Let us rather engage with the relevant youth programmes throughout the year.

We applaud the efforts of companies that should be used profitably by the youth in support of the National Youth Strategy of government. We need to move with speed with all youth programmes and also in preparing for those who will continue to sustain the minerals and energy industries beyond our lives.

I would therefore like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to our partners who made today's event a success, and to encourage all of us to play a role in building the future of our country through the empowerment and development of youth.

Let us continue to focus on the positives that are presented to us and make the dreams of the youth 1976 a sustainable reality. It is up to you the youth of today to be listed with the generations that brought about progressive movements and contributed immensely towards the future of our generations to come.

I thank you.

Issued by: Department of Minerals and Energy
29 June 2007