Chairperson, the June 16, 1976 Soweto uprisings represent one of the most effective efforts by the people of South Africa, the young lions in particular, in the fight against the diabolic system of apartheid. It is through their willingness to sacrifice their lives for our freedom that we are able to stand here today. We owe our political freedom to their gallant efforts.
However, for many of our youth around the country political freedom has yet to translate into economic freedom. We must remember that freedom is not just a political condition; freedom is also a social and economic condition. The political freedom the youth enjoy, without social and economic freedom, is a hollow concept.
The current youth unemployment figures are alarming, as you all know. So the youth bear the brunt of poverty and unemployment. We cannot easily overcome youth poverty without investing heavily in human capital development. Without investment in quality education, very few young people will be able to open businesses and create job opportunities for our people in this country.
In our efforts to address youth challenges we also need to do away with the culture of materialism which celebrates instant success and ineptitude. Too often we see the rise of politically connected individuals, who become instant millionaires. Now these overnight millionaires achieve this without any contribution to the gross domestic product, GDP, of the country.
In short we need an education system and a culture that celebrate industriousness, initiative and self-discipline. We need to establish a culture that celebrates hard work and dedication. We need more than just creating decent work for the youth; we also need a culture of decency in work in South Africa. Thank you very much.