Cape Town – South Africa will continue to take forward former President Nelson Mandela’s dream of seeing young people changing their lives around and becoming good citizens, President Jacob Zuma said today.
Presenting the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment, together with Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Countess of Wessex, Zuma paid tribute to Mandela, the awards’ founding patron-in-chief, who relinquished the role to him in 2010.
The programme forms part of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and takes place in 144 countries.
Zuma praised the 300 award recipients and 1 500 youth from correctional facilities, schools and community youth groups that took part in the awards programme through various projects – including a pre-school literacy project in the Eastern Cape, a clothing project for those in need in the Western Cape and in a desk refurbishing project for a needy school in Gauteng.
“We always say that the youth are the future of our country, but it takes coming to an event like this and to see the determination to succeed and to contribute to building the country, that we become convinced that indeed, this country will be in good hands,” he said.
Zuma was encouraged to hear about the joint collaborative projects that the youth are involved in through the programme.
“In fact, we are particularly pleased by the participation of youth from correctional centres as our view is that their lives must change for the better,” said Zuma, who pointed out that the introduction of the award programme in correctional centres was Mandela’s initiative.
He said he was also encouraged to learn that, as part of the President’s Award for Youth Empowerment’s 30th anniversary year, three regional workshops were held with the support of the National Youth Development Agency, the Department of Arts and Culture and Brand SA.
Part of each workshop involved award participants being informed about the National Development Plan (NDP) and how they – as young people – can help realise the plan’s Vision 2030.
“We want the youth to own the NDP and to be part of its implementation, as it is designed to make this country a better place for them,” said Zuma.
He said the programme played an important role in promoting relations between South Africa and the UK.
Last month, South Africa and the UK held the 10th Session of the SA-UK Bilateral Forum where a Youth Empowerment Dialogue was held as a part of the event, with the theme: job creation focusing on youth employment, skills and entrepreneurship.
“It is self-evident that our two countries deem it critical that in addressing social transformation issues, we also adopt a sharp focus on creating platforms in which youth development in all its forms can thrive, and translate into meaningful contributions to the economy,” he said.
Jason Caldicott, a prison inmate and drug addict who joined the Presidents Awards programme and took part in making a film and in various community projects, said the programme had helped change his perspective on life, such that he was “ready to contribute to a better South Africa”.
Also at today’s awards ceremony were the Minister of Correctional Services, Sbu Ndebele and Deputy Minister of International Relations, Marius Fransman. – SAnews.gov.za
