NYDA launches Youth Month 2019 at the Hector Peterson Memorial in Orlando West
Ministers in the Presidency kicked off the launch with wreath laying at the museum's memorial site.
Today, the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA), in collaboration with the Department of Arts and Culture officially launched the Youth Month at Hector Peterson Museum in Orlando West.
The aim of this launch is in line with commemorating the Youth of 1976 and celebrating the role played by young people such as Solomoni Mahlangu amongst the other, during the struggle for liberation.
“Solomon Mahlangu’s name continues to live through the NYDA.
“The Solomon Kalushi Mahlangu Scholarship Fund has produced over 500 graduates” said Sifiso Mtsweni, NYDA Executive.
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The launch commenced with an honorary wreath laying at the museum’s memorial site to honour those young people who died in in the struggle for liberation including the 12-year-old Peterson who got caught in the crossfire.
“This memorial site demonstrates the youth of 1976 and those who lost their lives to make sure that this country gets liberated, we know that a young man by the name of Hector Peterson was the first casualty of that day and today we are saying we recognise this site because Hector and many other young people who got killed that day did not die in vain, we still honour them today because South Africa would not have gotten this democracy today, said NYDA’s Executive Director for Communication and ICT Palesa Notsi.
The programme for the day was directed by Deputy Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture, Mrs Nocawe Mafu and Generation the Legacy actress, Luyanda Mzazi.
Notsi said that she is glad the Youth Month has been launched because it gives them as NYDA an opportunity to look out for the work that government, private sector and society is doing to empower young people.
“My main point of interest is seeing those that are assisting young people to get jobs, we know that government is already assisting young people to go to school. But those who are graduates, are they getting jobs?
“If they are not getting jobs, all the people who are participating in this programme must be able assist, to say this is the little we are doing to get our young people to get jobs.”
Meanwhile, when addressing the attendees, Mtsweni demanded that “When we started as this board of the NYDA, we are going to put the issue of youth representation at the centre of our agenda.
“When we started, we said that we cannot have institutions of government that do not reflect the demographics of our country. You cannot sit with the parliament that resembles an old age, the youngest person sitting there is 60 years, 70 years spending 90 percent of the day sleeping in parliament.”
Amongst the dignitaries who attended this launch were, MEC for Sports, Arts & Culture, Mbali Mhlophe, Minister of Sports, Arts & Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, Minister for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Maite Nkoane-Mashabane and Deputy President of South African Youth Council, Tumi Zwane.
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Mhlophe emphasised on the issue of youth development and affirmed that the government supports entrepreneurship, she said.
“As government we must be able to inculcate the culture of entrepreneurship amongst young people.”
On the other hand, Minister Mashabane said the NYDA must continue championing economic transformation and empower youth to be employers not just job seekers, she declared that, “Our young people here in South Africa needs to hear and tell the real story, they need to become our ambassadors, not only for this monument, but for today, tomorrow and the day after. Youth and NYDA, you have shown us today that 25 years is like yesterday.”
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