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.]]