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29 May 2008

Eastern Cape Premier Mrs Nosimo Balindlela has today called on the youth of the Eastern Cape to take advantage of the developmental opportunities that government has created. Premier Balindlela was conveying her message to the youth of the province ahead of Youth Development Month (June).

Premier Balindlela said while the government encourages the youth to celebrate the courage of their peers who fought for freedom against apartheid, the youth of today is faced with a huge task of fighting against poverty and unemployment.

The government has introduced learnerships and internship programmes to capacitate our young people with skills and work experience so that they can be able to join the job market, said Premier Balindlela.

She said the government has invested R85 million to support financially needy students at tertiary institutions.

Premier Balindlela said since 2002, this investment has supported more than 9 000 students of whom 1 427 graduated and more than 500 are permanently employed. She said the government has committed to place 500 unemployed youth in learnership programmes during this financial year.

We have also committed to place 50 unemployed graduates in one year internship programmes in each government department. The programme allows graduates to gain practical experience in areas of training to increase public service skills and improve their employment opportunities. More good news is that we have increased the stipend of interns to R5 000 a month so that our young people can assist in building their families.

The internship programme has seen the placement of 1 312 unemployed graduates in government departments and already 342 are already permanently employed. Under the National Youth Service Programme (NYSP) almost 3 000 young people are benefiting in a number of initiatives. Some are doing auxiliary work, social work, agriculture, road construction and low cost housing.

"So I urge our young people to seize the opportunities that our government has brought and participate actively in entrenching our democracy. We also call upon our young people to rise above the recent attacks on our fellow African brothers and take a leading role in vigorously opposing any form of violence against our people no matter where they come from," added Premier Balindlela.

The provincial Youth Day commemoration will be held on 16 June at Cala, Sakhisizwe Stadium from 09h00.

Theme: Entrenching our Democracy - all Youths to the Polls.

Contact:
Nomfundo wakwa Luphondwana
Cell: 082 440 2728
E-mail: nomfundo.luphondwana@otp.ecprov.gov.za

Issued by: Eastern Cape Provincial Government
29 May 2008
Source: Eastern Cape Provincial Government (http://www.ecprov.gov.za)