Chairperson, comrades and hon members, on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the 1976 uprising, as the APC, we also want to salute the youth, not only of that generation, but also the youth throughout the course of our struggle, who served, suffered and sacrificed for the freedom that we have today.
Poverty in South Africa bears the face of an African woman. Indeed, it is a fact that the crisis of unemployment is very much a burden of the youth. This tragedy, this crisis of unemployment, is a time-bomb we should defuse so that the promise of freedom is not a dream deferred for our people.
Our Parliament, this people's Parliament, this activist Parliament, this responsive Parliament should focus its oversight work on how government departments and their programmes respond to this challenge. The question really is how we, as Parliament, ensure in our oversight that institutions like the NYDA and the development finance institutions respond to the challenge of youth empowerment.
Our fight for freedom was not for ideas or things in anyone's head, but to see a practical improvement in the lives of our people. Our responsibility as Parliament is to ensure that the progressive policies and structures that we have do deliver for our youth. They deserve better. I thank you.