Pretoria - With South Africa marking the close of Youth Month yesterday, government has thanked the youth for their active involvement in various outreach activities and dialogues.
“The role of young people is essential to address the socio-economic and developmental issues that they are faced with. We applaud their contribution and participation at the activities of the 2016 Youth Month programme.
“The commemoration of both Youth Month and Youth Day provided us with an opportunity to take stock of the strides we have made and a reminder of the challenges that still lie ahead,” said Acting Director-General of Government Communications and Information System (GCIS), Donald Liphoko.
In June, South Africa commemorated the 40th anniversary of the June 16, 1976 student uprising. The day saw the youth across the country gathered to celebrate the heroism of students who stood up to the apartheid state and fought for their rights.
“As we conclude Youth Month, we acknowledge that the mandate to fulfil youth development is far from over. We, therefore, urge young people to continue to take the lead in dialogues that help to bring about solutions to their challenges,” Liphoko explained.
Government also reiterates the call made by President Jacob Zuma for young people to prioritise education and open up their own small businesses to boost the economy and create jobs.
“Government is determined to support youth businesses in every possible way. A number of programmes and initiatives have been established to support and empower the youth in this regard.
“As we approach the local government elections we also encourage youth to come out in numbers to exercise their democratic right to vote in order to have a say in the way they want their local areas to be governed,” said Liphoko. – SAnews.gov.za
