Hon Speaker, as a country, we are tirelessly working on initiatives aimed at realising the promise of freedom as expressed in our Constitution of 1996, Vision 2030 and the National Development Plan.
However, our great efforts aimed at uplifting many South Africans to the level of socio-economic security, continue to be hampered by our sluggish economic growth. Despite all this, we will continue to soldier on in implementing all other initiatives that will yield a better South Africa for all.
Our efforts are focussed on a social transformation programme that must deliver practical responses to our
current challenges of unemployment, poverty and inequality.
Through various government programmes, the championing of efforts towards fair and equitable provision of the offerings to women, youth and persons with disabilities remains a priority. This is a task that requires government to prioritise targeted interventions to support the development and empowerment of women, young people and people with disabilities. In doing so, collaborative partnerships with the private sector and other social partners are critical to mobilise additional resources to scale up government's efforts.
Our focus on the development of rural and townships is intended to create the necessary opportunities for skills development, entrepreneurship and infrastructure support to benefit women, youth and people with disabilities living in township and rural villages.
As government, we are also implementing an integrated comprehensive youth employment strategy, which will be co-ordinated by a project management office in the
Presidency. Through this strategy, we will ensure that in the next 10 years, more young people, young work-seekers between the ages of 15 and 35, will have engaged in a national pathway management network and accessed services to help them grow their employability as they pursue work opportunities.
In partnerships with the Industrial Development Corporation, government departments, and other development finance agencies, the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, are leading the implementation of an enterprise and entrepreneurship development programme, specifically targeting women. This is one of the programmes aimed at providing financial management skills to all categories of women who own and manage businesses.
The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, has also partnered with traditional leaders to support women economic empowerment projects in the whole country, especially in rural areas under the leadership of traditional leaders.
The Department of Social Development, in partnership with the Japanese International Development Agency, initiated the Community Based Integrated Development Programme. This programme seeks to create capacity support for rural women and to unlock economic opportunities for persons with disabilities. This programme has been piloted in the Vhembe and Thabo Mofutsanyana districts respectively. And will be expanding into rural districts in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape in the next 12 months.
Furthermore, the National Youth Development Agency is championing youth development programmes for emerging entrepreneurs through the establishment of business incubation hubs. The agency also trains work seekers on job preparedness and life skills. It has also set itself a target of expanding its current reach by increasing the number of their centres in district municipalities to be more accessible to township and rural youth.
Through the Supported Employment Enterprises, an entity of the Department of Employment and Labour, employment opportunities are provided to over a thousand workers with disabilities in designated factories across the
country. Although these have traditionally been located in urban centres, plans are afoot to expand them into more rural provinces.
To support the development of enterprises owned by persons with disabilities, the Small Enterprise Finance Agency established Amavulindlela Funding Scheme to offer entrepreneurs with disabilities standard credit facilities at a preferential rate. This is supported by in-depth mentoring, coaching and business development support to ensure that these enterprises succeed.
Despite significant progress that government is making, more work still needs to be done create a fully inclusive society where women, youth and persons with disabilities enjoy equitable access to development and economic empowerment opportunities. Thank you, hon Speaker. [Applause.]
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