Deputy Chairperson, in 1996, implementing the injunctions of the RDP, the government adopted the National Youth Commission Act. This was a first in the history of this country and it established an institutional mechanism to address the socioeconomic aspirations of young people.
Of course, in acting in this way, government was determining that it should intervene immediately to reverse the socioeconomic marginalisation the youth suffered under apartheid and involve them in the processes of democratic transformation.
Basing itself on this understanding, the ANC considered youth development and youth mobilisation to be vital to the processes of fundamental social transformation in South Africa. To address the specific challenges faced by the youth was central to addressing the broader needs of the masses of the people, because the youth had fought for freedom as a central component part of these masses and not as an isolated or parallel sector.
You could not say to the youth that their aspirations would be addressed in the broader process of addressing the general needs of the general public without a targeted approach to what was a serious specific challenge.
Thus, youth development refers to the programme both to redress the grave effects of apartheid on the black youth in particular, and to empower the youth with the capacity fully and ably to participate in both society and the economy.
This is so because unless this is done, the youth will remain marginalised. Accordingly, Chapter 3 of the RDP said that youth development must generally focus more on education and training, job creation and enabling young people to realise their full potential and participate fully in the society and their future.
It must restore the hope of our youth in the future and in their capacity to channel their resourcefulness and energy into reconstruction and development. The RDP further noted that the high levels of youth unemployment require special programmes, and consequently directed that a National Youth Service Programme be established, and that such a programme be regarded not merely as a job creation measure but as youth development and capacity-building. To facilitate the establishment and implementation of this programme, the RDP then directed that a national institution must co-ordinate the programme in consultation with other sectors, and went on to say and, I quote:
Appropriate government departments must more fully represent youth interests including through the allocation of resources to organisations involved in youth work.
An autonomous youth council should be given support in co-ordinating youth activities lobbying for the rights of our people and representing South Africa internationally. A review of legislation affecting youth and the implementation of youth service programmes must also be carried out.
What we are doing today in this House is to give effect to the injunctions of the RDP empowered by the experience of the past 12 years since the establishment of the National Youth Commission and 10 years since the Minister of Finance announced the intention to establish the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.
The truth is that during the past 12 years, we have tried to implement the letter of the RDP in its spirit to establish the legislation for the implementation of the Youth Development Programme, adopt the National Youth Policy, establish the National Youth Commission, adopt the National Youth Service Programme and establish an interdepartmental committee to ensure co- ordination between appropriate government departments so that they more strongly represent youth interests and strive for co-ordination between government and nongovernmental organisations to enhance youth development efforts better. What we are doing today is to review that experience, to improve the capacity we have, to pursue the ideals of the RDP and of youth development.
The National Youth Development Agency is an attempt to address the disjuncture that existed between the National Youth Commission, as a policy- making structure without implementing powers or capacity, and hence a limited budget, and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund as an implementing structure, albeit without a policy mandate.
This meant that we had a commission that could only think but had no capacity or mandate to implement its own thoughts, while the fund had to implement ideas conceived elsewhere.
The problem was that while the commission had the mandate spelt out in the commission, the fund had no similar mandate and had to make up its mandate as it went about its business.
Naturally, in this instance, because the two structures were independent of each other and had different political principles, mandates and programmes, whilst their field of work - youth development - was the same, there were unavoidable, unnecessary tensions and duplications. The National Youth Development Agency will, therefore, seek to address this problem. But we must avoid the danger of regarding it as a panacea for all the problems faced by the youth.
A perfect model for the implementation of youth development has not yet been achieved. Even the National Youth Development Agency itself, as we are establishing it today, would still again need to be remodelled in future to meet new challenges, learning from the experiences it will accumulate as it goes about its business.
Accordingly, and as part of its immediate responsibilities, it must implement an integrated youth development strategy. In broad terms, the National Youth Development Agency should exist for the purposes of implementing and investing in youth development programmes that promote participation in the formal labour market, entrepreneurship, human capital development, and access to information by young people through streamlined and targeted youth information programmes.
It must further support research and capacity-building projects. The establishment of the agency should be viewed as the inevitable revolution of youth development institutions in South Africa post 1994. Its establishment heralds a new era for youth development. It will continue to do the work of the previous institution in a co-ordinated and more integrated way.
Its structure provides for a better governance and management structure than the former institutions, enhancing the possibilities for planning monitoring and evaluation.
Finally, as we establish the National Youth Development Agency, we should commend the National Youth Commission and Umsobomvu Youth Fund for the work they did and the millions of lives on which they impacted.
We should thank those structures for the genuine attempts they made to implement an important and difficult mandate without any models to learn from. But it is time for us to move on and learn from that experience and establish a better institution. Thank you very much. [Applause.]
Chairperson, Ministers present, Deputy Ministers, hon members, comrades and friends, driven by what one of the revolutionaries of our time, Ch Guevara, offered us -
... a great sense of duty, a sense of duty towards a society we are building, towards our fellow human beings and towards all the people around the world.
Young men and women of this country joined the South African struggles for freedom and democracy.
Political struggles culminated in the 1994 democratic breakthrough, which marked the end of the system of apartheid colonialism. It was a historical breakthrough that ushered in an important epoch in the history of the majority of South African youth, in which youth development would become central to the developmental agenda of our state. Because of both the contributions the young people of our country made in bringing about freedom and democracy, and the challenges that continue to face them, we cannot watch and do nothing when these young heroes and heroines of our land require intervention from Parliament to further advance the struggles of young people.
It was both the socioeconomic challenges facing young people and the weaknesses within the existing institutions of youth development that necessitated the intervention of our democratic parliament. This is the context within which we should understand the resolution of Parliament on 23 September to establish a committee to process legislation to establish the National Youth Development Agency, which is the subject of our debate today.
Following this resolution of the House, our committee was established and in turn it constituted a technical team to assist it in drafting this legislation establishing the National Youth Development Agency. Indeed, this team helped this committee to consolidate ideas and the views of the committee members in developing draft legislation, which was later published for public comment and submissions.
Before the actual public hearings, this committee, through its chairperson, formally and informally consulted with those who are directly affected by this process. These included institutions such as the Umsobomvu Youth Fund; the National Youth Commission; the Minister in the Presidency, Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang; and the Minister of Labour, hon Sheperd Mdladlana.
As for matters that will assist the committee in processing the legislation, while much may be said about initial misgivings that engulfed these consultations, they appear to have generated some results which, to an extent, have assisted the committee to understand the complex issues.
Subsequently, this committee consulted with various youth formations representing young people from across the country, which had converged in Birchwood, Johannesburg to attend a youth dialogue convened by the National Youth Commission on institutional arrangements for youth development in South Africa. The complex issues arising from this legislation also require us to consult with Nedlac. I must say that we have consulted Nedlac as well.
Following on our presentation and discussions, Nedlac never objected to the processing and even the finalisation of this legislation; instead it raised issues that it wanted to be addressed in the legislation. I must also mention that such issues are indeed taken care of in this Bill. In addition to written submissions on this legislation, our committee allowed various youth formations and individual young people - I repeat, individual - from all over the country to make oral representations during the public hearings.
In fact, the written and oral submissions received from youth commissions and individual young people from other organisations that deal with issues of young people, helped us in developing this legislation. Without fear of contradicting myself, let me say that in processing this legislation, our committee has taken into account many of the issues, concerns and proposals raised during the public hearings on this legislation. The committee has indeed consulted extensively on this legislation.
We developed this legislation we are debating today fully aware that young people require space, opportunity and support to maximise their collective and individual capacities, skills and abilities to develop themselves and society as a whole.
Understanding the challenges created by unintegrated institutional mechanisms for youth development, we now establish a new mechanism intended -
... to ensure seamless integration, sustainability and responsiveness to the demands and aspirations of young people in this country.
The new mechanism I am referring to is the National Youth Development Agency, which will exist as a unitary public entity. Such a public entity will ensure that youth development becomes central in the country's development agenda. The agency will promote a uniform approach by organs of state, the private sector and nongovernmental organisations on youth development. It will initiate, design, co-ordinate and monitor all government programmes aimed at integrating youth into the economy and society in general. In particular, it will also help to develop an integrated youth development strategy and guidelines for the implementation of a national youth policy. Moreover, the legislation also empowers the agency to implement programmes aimed at developing the young people of this country.
However, critically important is that the agency needs to have the organisational, human and financial capacity to lead and guide youth development, especially internal capacity to implement, monitor and evaluate implementation on policy and programmes of youth development.
We understand that change creates uncertainties, fears and anxiety. It can never be an intention of Parliament to depress young people who are dedicated in these institutions to promote youth development in our country.
We therefore urge all of these young people, the young men and women working in these institutions and offices, which are directly affected by this process, to redouble their efforts in responding to the demands and aspirations of young people. They have contracts that are guiding them and they have benchmarks that they need to fulfil. They have nothing to fear, instead they have to continue working, knowing that we have included in the legislation provisions that protect the staff working in these institutions and offices.
In conclusion, let me say that the youth remain a cornerstone of our democracy. The future of this country depends on their willingness and participation. The youth remain central in transforming our society to improve the lives of our people, especially the poor and marginalised sections.
However, the youth must understand their duty to participate actively in the political, social and economic life of our country, to combat discrimination and racism and promote democratic values. Thank you. [Applause.]
The DA welcomes the National Youth Development Agency Bill. The Bill provides for the establishment of the National Youth Development Agency, aimed at creating and promoting co-ordination in youth development matters. It provides for the objects and functions of the Agency; the manner in which it is to be managed and governed; the regulation of its staff matters and financial affairs; the administration of the fund, by the Agency, under a new name referred to in the Demutualisation Levy Act of 1998; repeal of the National Youth Commission Act of 1996; and provides for matters connected therewith.
The Bill sincerely addresses concerns of the youth by collapsing both those thorny bodies, the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and National Youth Commission. These two entities failed to implement and monitor youth development mandates. The spirit of the National Youth Development Agency Bill, if correctly implemented, will relieve ailing, unemployed, unskilled and poor youth from their sufferings. The youth will enjoy all the benefits directed at them through the development programmes initiated, such as the National Youth Policy and the Integrated Youth Development Strategy.
The DA, however, warns the ruling party not to abuse this National Youth Development Agency Bill by employing its members and ignoring youth from all walks of life. We say this, as the DA, having experienced the failure of Umsobomvu and the National Youth Commission, where positions were given according to political affiliation. The Bill emphasises merit rather than political connection.
The spirit and form of the Bill promise to resonate with youth development. It raises the hopes of all young South Africans who lost hope in government and its programmes. The objects of the Agency emphasise an open-opportunity society. It revives South Africa's dreams of unity in diversity, democracy, new beginnings, hope and the rainbow nation. The Bill gives equal opportunities to all youth based on capabilities and relevant qualifications.
We support this Bill based on its liberal principles of clean governance, equality before the law and the open-opportunity society for all youth irrespective of race. The Bill encourages youth to work hard, study and pursue their dreams with the support it provides.
Re le ba DA, re rata go bona diphetogo. Re rata go bona Lekalatirelo la Set?haba la Tlhabollo ya Ba?wa le dira t?e di latelago: le ?omela baswa; le eba lent?u la baswa; le t?wela baswa ba dinagamagae mohola; le fihlelela baswa kamoka; gape le le kgauswi le baswa.
Re ile ra tshwenyega ka fao T?helete ya Umsobomvu ya Baswa le Khomi?ene ya Set?haba ya Baswa di bego di ?oma ka gona. Re le ba DA, re bone dipho?o t?e nt?i go mekgatlo ye mebedi ye. Bjale re re go lekane. Re leboga go fedi?wa ga T?helete ya Umsobomvu ya Baswa le Khomi?ene ya Set?haba ya Baswa. Re amogela Lekalatirelo la Set?haba la Tlhabollo ya Baswa leo re nago le kholofelo ya gore le tla fedi?a matshwenyego le dillo t?a baswa. Re le ba DA, re kgopela gore Lekalatirelo la Set?haba la Tlhabollo ya Baswa le tli?e diphetogo go baswa ba Afrika-Borwa. Ke baswa ba Afrika-Borwa bao ba tlago kgona go tsebi?a Lekalatirelo la Set?haba la Tlhabollo ya Baswa ka mafokodi a lona gore le kgone go loki?a dipho?o t?a lona.
Rena ba DA re re Lekalatirelo la Set?haba la Tlhabollo ya Baswa le swanet?e go akaret?a baswa ba mekgatlo kamoka ya dipolotiki, e sego mokgatlo wo o bu?ago fela. Re le ba DA, re re Lekalatirelo la Set?haba la Tlhabollo ya Baswa le swanet?e go ba lent?u la baswa kamoka ba Afrika-Borwa. [Tseno ganong.] Re thekga molao wo. Re a leboga. [Legoswi.] [Nako e fedile.] (Translation of Sepedi paragraphs follows.)
[As the DA, we want to see changes. We want to see the National Youth Development Agency doing the following: working for the youth; becoming the voice of the youth; benefiting youth from rural areas; being accessible to all the youth.
We were dissatisfied with the manner in which the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and the National Youth Commission operated. As the DA, we witnessed a lot of mistakes being made by these two associations. We now say it is enough. We are thankful that the National Youth Commission has been cancelled. We welcome the National Youth Development Agency, which we believe will bring about changes to the lives of the youth of South Africa. It is the youth of South Africa who will be able to inform the National Youth Development Agency of their problems in order to resolve those.
As the DA, we are saying that the National Youth Development Agency must cater for the youth from all political parties and not only for those from the ruling party. As the DA we are saying that the National Youth Development Agency must be the voice of all the youth in South Africa. [Interjections.] We support this Bill. Thank you. [Applause.] [Time expired.]]
Chairperson, hon members, as a member of the Ad hoc Committee on the National Youth Development Agency, the IFP had the opportunity not only to make an input but to listen to a plethora of vigorous inputs from South African youth at the public hearings held on Monday and Tuesday.
It is very clear that despite the ongoing youth crisis, a huge segment of our youth is extremely passionate and ready to get involved in issues of youth and economic development in general. I must say, it is unfortunate that the ad hoc committee presiding on this Bill was unable to afford civil society sufficient participation as well as to integrate some of the critical concerns arising from the civil society submissions.
Almost all submissions from youth activists and organisations reflected a kind of institution that would go beyond just merging the National Youth Commission and Umsobomvu Youth Fund, that would give fresh impetus to youth development and above all, its implementation. The word "implement" was the youth catch phrase as everyone is weary of the failures of the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.
Many of our young people are growing up along those roads, between multicoloured houses, in shacks and other vulnerable situations. Therefore, they demanded a well-formulated implementing institution rather than a mere co-ordination agency.
Our own youth in the IFP has been calling for a full-fledged youth ministry to implement youth development and take responsibility for all affairs. Regrettably, instead of outlining how the agency will unfold at provincial and local levels, the final draft of the Bill has totally removed any provisions relating to provinces.
The IFP believes the success of this legislation will depend on how the new agency relates to young people and how the entire government responds to the current economic crisis and gross socioeconomic inequalities in the country as a whole.
Taking note of the above concerns, the IFP recommends this Bill for approval. I thank you. [Time expired.]
Chairperson, hon members, the National Youth Development Agency Bill seeks to create an apparently new structure to deal with the important question of youth and how their development is catered for within the greater context of government policy and administration.
Important issues that require attention include how national policies and decisions reflect the needs and inspirations of the youth. It is especially important that we create a democratic society that has legitimacy among the new generation if we expect them to carry forward the historic project of consolidating the freedom we attained in 1994.
Our concern lies not so much in the objectives of the Bill, but we are concerned that it merely seems to duplicate an existing structure that exists within the Presidency, and to collapse the Umsobomvu Youth Fund into this new structure.
It must be noted that both the commission and the fund have poor delivery track records and dubious fiscal management histories. However, these problems will not disappear with the establishment of this new structure. This is because these structures are transferred as they are into the new agency. The agency will inherit all the problems and weaknesses ...
The UDM supports the Bill. [Time expired.]
Chairperson, as a new democracy, we have been greatly challenged by our history and aims to institute policies that can inculcate in communities equal opportunity, freedom and unity. However, the realities of poverty create great imbalances throughout the nation and among our people.
It is as though in South Africa it is the drive to attain the best democracy that keeps us going. We as a nation, however, are the architects of tomorrow. It is our duty to steer the youth of today away from these challenges and support them in being great leaders, developers and organisers of the generation to follow them. Mahatma Gandhi once said: "A country that does not invest in its youth does not have a future."
The MF applauds the introduction of the National Youth Agency Bill that will certainly assist us in addressing the challenges that we face with our youth today and enable them with the tools to cope with tomorrow. The MF is confident that this board shall deliver greatness to our youth. The MF will support the Bill.
While they are preparing I am going to ask the Deputy Chief Whip of the Majority Party to recommend a hat for the hon Bloem! [Laughter.]
Chairperson, the youth of today are our future and tomorrow's leaders; and yet studies show that 70% of our country's youth population remains unemployed.
In 1994, after our democratic breakthrough, a period of youth development became part of the developmental intervention of the democratic state. We saw the development of youth-focused policy and legislative frameworks. In 1996 the National Youth Commission Act saw the establishment of the National Youth Commission.
In 2001 government showed its commitment to development by establishing the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, through section 3 of the Demutualisation Levy Act, Act 50 of 1998. Money was put into this fund to fast-track mainstreaming youth economic participation in the country.
The mandate of the NYC was the establishment of a statutory body charged with formulating a national youth policy, co-ordinating the implementation of such a policy and lobbying and advocating for youth development in the country.
The mandate of the Umsobomvu Youth Fund states that the fund is established in accordance with such terms and conditions as the Minister of Finance may determine to fund national projects for skills development and job creation.
Unfortunately, there were weaknesses and limitations experienced by the NYC because of its limited mandate and the fact that it had no enforcing powers. The hon member from the IFP mentioned in her presentation that there were many failures from the NYC, and these were not failures on their part, but because of the limitations regarding the mandate within the Act. That was the reason for the limitations - because of the law.
The Umsobomvu Fund lacks a legal mandate for this fund to be regulated and therefore it regulated itself. The two institutions also literally ran parallel programmes and were at times duplicating each other's mandate, yet they did not interact with each other or conduct joint planning sessions.
The youth convention and the ANC Polokwane conference renewed calls for a new agency to be set up. The Ad Hoc Committee on the National Youth Development Agency Bill had just completed its task in working on this Bill this week. Thirty-two written submissions were sent to the committee; 21 presentations only were made to the committee and many of them came from different youth formations as well as provincial youth commissions; and four individuals also made submissions.
The reasons for the submissions were for the ad hoc committee to hear the views of different youth formations and different individuals on the draft Bill. This Bill arose from the need to merge the two institutions, namely the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.
The idea of the National Youth Development Agency will ensure seamless integration, sustainability and responsiveness to the demands and aspirations of South African youth.
The Joint Monitoring Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Children, Youth and Disabled Persons oversees the work of both these agencies.
Concerns have been raised in the committee and brought forward to the committee, and these concerns were that the programmes of both the NYC and the UYF were not inclusive. They were not representative of all the youth of South Africa, especially youth with disabilities and the rural youth. There has not been enough public awareness about the work of the NYC and the UYF. This was evident when we as the JMC performed oversight work.
During the public hearings we noted that most of those presenting to the ad hoc committee agreed that a merging of the NYC and the UYF was needed. They were happy to support a new agency.
In the Bill, the objects of the agency are that they are to develop an integrated youth development plan and strategies for South Africa. They are to develop guidelines for implementation of youth development as well as initiate, design, and co-ordinate, evaluate and monitor all programmes aimed at integrating the youth into the economy and society of our country.
The agency will guide efforts and facilitate economic participation and empowerment, and achievement of education and training. It has to partner and assist organs of state, the private sector, the NGOs and community- based organisations on initiatives directed at attaining employment and skills development.
It will initiate programmes directed at poverty alleviation, urban and rural development and combating of crime, substance abuse and social decay amongst youth. It has to establish annual national priority programmes in respect of youth development and promote a uniform approach by all organs of state, the private sector and nongovernmental organisations to matters relating to or involving youth development. It must endeavour to promote the interests generally of the youth, particularly young people with disabilities.
In order for the agency to achieve these objectives, it will establish competencies and capabilities in its operations, including the following: It will be responsible for the national youth service and social cohesion, economic participation, policy, research and development, governance, training and development, youth advisory and information services and the national youth fund.
There has also been a concern and talk that the merger will cause staff members to lose their jobs and end contracts. The Bill specifically says in clause 21 that following section 197 of the Labour Relations Act, staff of the NYC and the UYF will be transferred to the agency. This should prevent any panic that might occur.
Committee members and those presenting their submissions were concerned that service delivery to the youth of South Africa, the national youth policy and integrated national youth strategy be implemented so that our youth can benefit.
Coming out of the presentations from the two institutions to the JMC it has been noted that there are government departments which do not take the needs of the youth seriously.
As chairperson of this committee, and as a member of the ad hoc committee that worked on this Bill, I hope that in its work this agency will take into consideration the need to fast-track services to the youth.
If I do not have another opportunity from this podium, I would like to thank the NYC and the UYF for all the work that they have done, in spite of the limitations and challenges that they faced. I wish you all the best. Thank you. [Applause.]
Chairperson, I would also like to acknowledge the Deputy President of the ANC Youth League in the gallery. I understand he is such a tough lobbyist that some hon members have requested that he get a hat as a gift from the House!
I want also to thank all the hon members who participated in the discussion. I also would like to recommend a hat for Mr Swathe and to suggest to the hon Madikiza that he reads the Bill again because I don't think it says the things that he was saying here. He probably read the wrong Bill. I would suggest to my former president there, Lulu Johnson, that he gives him the correct copy.
The National Youth Development Agency will combine rather than split the efforts of the previous structures. The weaknesses in the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund did not exist because of the deliberate weaknesses in these organisations. It was because of the mandate that these organisations had.
The merger will result in a better-resourced and better-capacitated agency that will benefit from the collective experience of the two structures, which were accumulated over a period of about 10 years, and from leveraging the capacities of the two organisations towards a single goal.
Again the agency must not be regarded as a panacea to the problems of the youth. The labour market must still create jobs. Schools must still teach and offer good quality education. Universities must still develop skills and produce rounded, competent citizens. The agency will have to play its part in lobbying for youth development and in establishing some programmes and implementing those that they can afford within the limitations of the resources that they have.
In reality, the agency will not have all the resources it needs to be able to respond at once to the complex problems that young people in our country have. That would mean that all government departments, including the private sector, will have to play their part and not shirk their responsibilities simply because a national youth development agency already exists.
This is a new era which we are going to enter in the field of youth development. It was instructive that this agency was the idea of young people themselves, and we should commend the youth for their vigilance and for being alert and being able to voice the ideas and concerns they have about weaknesses in the structures and programmes that we have established. Thank you very much, and Merry Christmas to all. [Applause.]
Debate concluded.
Bill read a second time.