THE 2023 Youth Month will be celebrated under the theme, “Accelerating youth economic emancipation for a sustainable future” as Mzansi marks 47 years since the 1976 Student Uprising.
The NYDA, under the stewardship of the Department of Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts, and Culture (DSAC), hosted the Youth Month 2023 launch at Uncle Tom's Hall in Orlando West, Soweto, on Thursday, 1 June.
This year’s Youth Month activities present opportunities for young people through showcasing, dialogues, and celebrating young change makers.
MEC Limakatso Mahasa from the Free State Department of Sports, Arts and Culture said: “During June, we are not only remembering and celebrating the lives of the fallen heroes and heroines of 1976, but we use this commemoration to remember and restore our commitment to the total emancipation of all young people in the country.”
Department of sport, arts and culture deputy minister Nocawe Mafu said: “It remains our task to coordinate the government commemorative programme. In this month in particular, South Africa will pause as it remembers the generation of 1976.”
A panel discussion regarding individual journeys and generational missions was held. Panellists included Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, representing the Department of Women Youth and Persons Living with Disabilities, and Thulisa Ndlela, NYDA board member.
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Dlamini-Zuma said everything would stay the same until we stopped exporting raw materials.
"We will always be where we are if we are exporting raw materials, and we are also exporting job opportunities. We are exporting revenue. If we export raw materials, we are not price callers but price takers,” she said.
Another panellist, Bonga Makhanya said: “The state of young people in South Africa is really bad. We have barriers that young people face in terms of participation. The young people have lost hope in terms of participation in the economy, basic education crisis and the level of joblessness is worse,” said Bonga Makhanya.
He said that the NYDA needs to up their budget to help young people realise their dreams.
“The NYDA can’t assist us with anything simply because they have funding criteria which limit them,” said Bonga.
