This is a narrow interest of the white capitalist bosses aimed at further exploiting the poorest of the poor. The wage subsidy that is being argued here will go to the labour brokers, whose existence they are defending wholeheartedly as they are pushing for its implementation now. [Interjections.] You are pushing it now. So don't be the mouthpiece of the working class and the poor.
Hon Inkosi and hon Gunda, the National Youth Development Agency is a multiparty agency at the highest decision-making level. All the parties are represented in the agency. Therefore, we should work together and champion the interests of the youth of South Africa and stop blaming the alliance.
Allow me, hon Chairperson, to pay homage to a fighter, a relentless organiser and an inspiring leader of the youth of our country: Comrade Peter Mokaba, who passed away on 9 June 2002. In five days' time the youth of our movement will commemorate eight years since the great leader of our national democratic revolution joined fearless ANC cadres such as Walter Sisulu, John Langalibalele Dube, Chief Albert Luthuli, Oliver Reginald Tambo, Moses Mabhida, Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu and many more.
I also pay homage to all the compatriots that supported our nation's fight against apartheid throughout the African continent and the world. All of them, through their determined struggles and efforts, ensured that South Africans today are able to say, with conviction, "We are free. We are free indeed."
As we celebrate this Youth Day, we continue to repeat the message that the nation expects the youth of today to follow in the footsteps of the 1976 youth and become agents of change, this time in the continuing struggle to achieve the goal of a better life for all our people. Indeed, all of us have the common responsibility to always recall the events of 1976, so that the bravery and sacrifices of that generation of young people continue to serve as an inspiration to work harder in our efforts and deeds towards a united, democratic, nonracial and nonsexist South Africa.
Whereas the youth of 1976 used their energies to mobilise and campaign against apartheid, the youth of today should use their talents to mobilise and campaign against crime and drugs. The young people of today, the young lions, must be at the forefront of the struggle to defeat violence against and the rape of women and children. The good role models amongst them, the best young lions, are those who get good results at all our educational institutions. The good role models amongst them must be those who work with the community to help the poor, who volunteer to help their neighbours, who give due respect to other members of the community, including the elderly and people with disabilities, and those who respect the values of ubuntu and good moral conduct.
Today, we are free because in the past young people made great sacrifices. This freedom has, in turn, brought about many opportunities. Accordingly, the youth should bear no excuses in their individual and collective efforts to put to good use all the many and varied opportunities brought by democracy.
Young people must do everything possible to ensure that they access the education and training opportunities that the youth of 1976 fought for with their lives. The youth today defends our nationhood and instils pride and patriotism among all young people for being South African and Africans. They must rise up to protect their communities, which are being ravaged by cowardly attacks on them by criminals and by disease. We would like to use this opportunity to appeal to all youth formations and all our social partners, namely labour, business and civil society, to join hands and act together, addressing the critically important matter of youth development and the empowerment of youth from economically disadvantaged communities.
In closing, in seven days' time our nation will host the 2010 Fifa World Cup. We want to say to all the youth of South Africa: Be defenders of our national symbols. Let us take this opportunity to ensure that our nation triumphs in its effort to implant hope and common identity in the hearts and minds of all its people, regardless of gender, sex, creed, colour and social status. I thank you. [Applause.]