Hon Chairperson, hon Minister Gigaba, and hon members, it's a pleasure to take part in this debate on behalf of the youth today. Thirty-five years ago, on 16 June 1976, the students in Soweto started protesting for a better education. Today we commemorate this day as National Youth Day. We celebrate Youth Day as a nation. We can only do this if we as leaders and adults respect each other, respect each other's rights and learn from our past.
The youth in South Africa make up almost half of the population. Many face the reality of poverty, unemployment, crime and social issues in our communities. So what are the problems we face? They are a lack of nutritious food, clean water, housing and health care - all that has an impairing and debilitating effect on poor South Africans, but more so on the youth who cannot grow physically without equal opportunities.
There are so many of our families that are child-headed. We are also sitting with a large percentage of teenage pregnancies.
Better care could be taken of the youth with special needs, especially in the education sector. In South Africa, poor children with special needs have very limited resources, and grow into youth that are not well developed and are dependent on state grants. Opportunities must be given so that these children can be employed, independent, and not dependent on the state.
We need to create opportunities to develop our youth, as they are tomorrow's generation. Where do we begin? We often hear of real jobs, but what are we doing about real education? Without real education there cannot be real jobs. We must be mindful of poverty in Africa, and the fact that it is due to the wrong choices made by the leaders in Africa. Can we afford to make those changes?
The National Planning Commission disclosed in its report last week all the errors in the Department of Basic Education, and all the shortcomings in the outcomes-based education system. It is the subject choices that debilitate our children in their going on to further education. It's either not explained to them properly, or they don't understand what it entails to get the right credits for tertiary education. What does a child do with only a matric certificate? Moreover, has he or she been given the economic opportunity to empower himself or herself?
Sir, 74% of the unemployed in South Africa today are under the age of 35, and therefore considered the youth. If a young person is not employed in the formal sector after school or tertiary education by the age of 24, the chances are that they will forever remain in the informal sector - for the rest of their life. This comes from the National Planning Commission report. It is not I who am saying so.
Economic empowerment starts with education and then employment. We have young groups in this country who seem to be powerful. They seem to be running the ruling party as well, and they are demanding the nationalisation of mines and talking of land grabs. This culture of entitlement is rife. It creates unsustainable expectations. All this is undermining investment security in jobs.
As the DA, we believe that we need to address the wrongs of the past through sustainable economic opportunities, empowerment and participation. Let us all be responsible and accountable for our youth and our future leaders, so that we can change poverty into economic empowerment and growth. I thank you. [Applause.]