Mogale City Executive Mayor, councillor Francis Makgatho has challenged the youth of the city to be prepared and determined to work hard and go the extra mile to achieve their goals.
With the prohibition of large gatherings due to the Covid-19 pandemic, for the first time in 25 years, Mogale City and the entire South Africa celebrated Youth Month and commemorated Youth Day virtually and by other electronic means.
As part of the Youth Day and Youth Month celebrations, the executive mayor addressed the community of Mogale on a live show at WestsideFM, a community radio station based at Kagiso Mall. There was also a dialogue with young people, who directed questions to the Mayor based on his Youth Day address.In his speech, Mayor Makgatho outlined programmes and projects that the City has lined up for young people.
At the top of the City’s priority list is youth development aimed at empowering young people for the future.
“As the political head of Mogale City, the City of Human Origins, I extend a warm welcome and greetings to all of you. This year’s commemoration of 16 June takes place under extraordinary circumstances as our country and the entire globe is faced with an extremely unfriendly scourge, the coronavirus known as Covid-19.
I feel honoured today to speak to the youth of the broader West Rand, and Mogale City in particular, on this very significant day celebrated across the country as Youth Day. While educating those of us who may not know and at the same time reminding those who do, today, Youth Day, marks the 44th commemoration of the 16 June 1976 Soweto youth uprising,” Makgatho said.
Councillor Makgatho added that the celebration of Youth Day gives Mogale City an opportunity not only to reflect on the events of the past, but to focus on issues that affect our youth today and implement long-lasting initiatives to empower them for the future.
Programmes that the City has lined up for youth development range from the recently launched Chamdor Automotive Hub, where local small and medium enterprises owners will be exposed to modern equipment and techniques to operate their businesses.Other programmes include the agricultural parks, Swanieville Agri Park and Ekasilab.
These are youth-centred and driven programmes, where young people should not only eventually create jobs but where they are introduced to the mainstream economy of Mogale City, the Gauteng province and our country.
Councillor Makgatho also touched on the recent spate of gender-based violence.
“This very brutality and violence committed on our girl-children, sisters, mothers, grandmothers and all female folk should stop immediately. Women?s lifeless bodies are discovered on a daily basis. The violence and femicide cases in our country are at crisis level and therefore as men we should hang our faces in shame.”
