Deputy President Paul Mashatile has assured young people that the concerns raised during the Presidential Youth Roundtable Engagement would be reflected in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s State of the Nation Address on Thursday.
The Deputy President was delivering remarks on behalf of President Cyril Ramaphosa at the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Presidential Youth Engagement in Khayelitsha on Tuesday, where young people from across the country raised urgent issues affecting them.
“The President is unable to attend this year due to pressing issues as he is preparing for the State of the Nation Address. I however want to assure that immediately after this session I will be joining him to look at the final touch up on his speech and ensure that the issues that will be emerging from this gathering form part of his address to the nation,” Mashatile said.
The Deputy President emphasised that young people remain central to South Africa’s present and future, describing them as “our nation’s beating pulse.”
“You are not passive observers of the national mood – you set its tone and pace, you surface new ideas, and you turn what matters to you into conversations, debates and movements.”
He said gatherings such as the Presidential Youth Engagement provide government with an honest reflection of the country’s realities, particularly those experienced by young people.
“It is from you, the youth, that we come to appreciate what this country sounds like, what its many currents are, and the lived experiences of our people are,” he said.
The Deputy President noted that the engagement takes place in a year of historical significance, as South Africa marks 50 years since the 1976 Soweto uprising, drawing parallels between past and present generations of young people.
“In 1976 the youth took to the streets, demanding that their voices be heard and refusing to accept a future that would exclude and marginalise them. As today’s generation of young people, you are infused with the same moral clarity and sense of purpose,” Mashatile said.
He added that the responsibility of ensuring democracy delivers meaningful outcomes now rests with the current generation.
“A future in which democracy truly delivers for all is the struggle of your time and your generational mission. In striving to fulfil your goals, you are the worthy inheritors of the mantle of the 1976 generation,” he said.
Mashatile also acknowledged the role of the NYDA in advancing youth development over the past 17 years, highlighting its work in connecting young people to skills training, entrepreneurship support and employment opportunities.
“For the past 17 years the NYDA has been at the forefront of our efforts as government to connect young people to livelihoods, skills training and economic opportunities,” he said.
He said insights from the engagement would once again inform government’s priorities, as has been the case in previous years.
“As has been the case in the past, the valuable insights gleaned from this engagement have enriched the State of the Nation address and given us valuable food for thought,” Mashatile said.
He concluded by reaffirming government’s commitment to listening and working with young people.
“I am here with Ministers, Deputy Ministers, the Mayor of Cape Town, Councillors, officials from all spheres of government not only to share with you what we as government are doing but to plan with you the future of our country,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
