Mr Speaker, 10 October 2013 was a proud day for 119 young people who received Gold Awards from President Zuma at the President's Award for Youth Empowerment at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town. Inmates and private school pupils alike shed tears in an emotional ceremony to honour South Africans between the ages of 14 and 24.
The president was flanked by the Earl and Countess of Wessex, Prince Edward and Princess Sophie, who represented the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award Foundation. The award is offered in 144 countries. In receiving his Gold Award, Jason Caldicott of the Robertson Correctional Centre in the Western Cape and a former drug addict, said that the programme had taught him to believe in himself again. There were young people from all walks of life, ranging from Robertson Correctional Centre inmates to pupils from Bridge House in Franschhoek.
The award programme requires participation in four key areas: community service, a group adventure journey, physical recreation and skills development. There are an estimated 14 300 participants in South African schools, prisons, community youth groups and orphanages. The ANC wants to encourage the recipients of this award to grab this opportunity and to use it to shape their future. [Applause.]