TUESDAY, 15 JUNE 2004 __

                PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
                                ____

The House met at 09:02.

The Speaker took the Chair and requested members to observe a moment of silence for prayers or meditation.

ANNOUNCEMENTS, TABLINGS AND COMMITTEE REPORTS - see col 000.

                             NEW MEMBER

                           (Announcement)

The Speaker announced that by order of the Electoral Court, the African Christian Democratic Party had been allocated one additional seat in the National Assembly and the Azanian People’s Organisation had lost one seat.

Further, the effect of the order was that Mr N D Habedi had relinquished the second seat of Azanian People’s Organisation with effect from 7 June

1. Pursuant to the order of the Electoral Court, the Electoral Commission had informed Parliament that Mr Mthokozisi Selby Khumalo of the African Christian Democratic Party had been designated as a member of the National Assembly.

                     SOLEMN AFFIRMATION
   

Mr M S Khumalo, accompanied by Adv Z L Madasa and Mr S N Swart, made and subscribed the solemn affirmation and took his seat.

          REVIVAL AND RESUMPTION OF CONSIDERATION OF BILLS

                         (Draft Resolution)

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Madam Speaker, I move the draft resolution printed in my name on the Order Paper, as follows:

That the following Bills be revived and consideration thereof be resumed from the stage reached with them in the Second Parliament before lapsing, namely that the Bills were before committees of the National Assembly: (1) Dental Technicians Amendment Bill [B 63 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 76);

(2) Traditional Health Practitioners Bill [B 66 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 76);

(3) Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Bill [B 72 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 76);

(4) Judicial Officers Amendment Bill [B 72 - 2001] (National Assembly - sec 75);

(5) Child Justice Bill [B 49 - 2002] (National Assembly - sec 75);

(6) Compulsory HIV Testing of Alleged Sexual Offenders Bill [B 10 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75);

(7) Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Amendment Bill [B 50 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75);

(8) Superior Courts Bill [B 52 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75);

(9) Road Accident Fund Amendment Bill [B 64 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75);

(10) Children’s Bill [B 70 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75); and

(11) National Environmental Management: Protected Areas Amendment Bill [B 2 - 2004] (National Assembly - sec 75)

Agreed to.

          REVIVAL AND RESUMPTION OF CONSIDERATION OF BILLS

                         (Draft Resolution)

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Madam Speaker, I move the draft resolution printed in my name on the Order Paper, as follows:

That, subject to the concurrence of the National Council of Provinces, the following Bills be revived and consideration thereof be resumed from the stage reached with them in the Second Parliament before lapsing, namely that the Bills had been passed by the National Assembly and were before committees of the National Council of Provinces:

(1) South African Citizenship Amendment Bill [B 55 - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75); and

(2) Films and Publications Amendment Bill [B 61B - 2003] (National Assembly - sec 75).

Agreed to.

           REVIVAL AND RESUMPTION OF CONSIDERATION OF BILL

                         (Draft Resolution)

USOSWEBHU OMKHULU WEQEMBU LENINGI: Somlomo, ngiphakamisa isiphakamiso esibhalwe ngegama lami oHlwini lweziHloko, kanje:

Ukuthi ngokuvumelana noMkhandlu kaZwelonke weziFundazwe, lo mThethosivivinywa olandelayo uvuselelwe futhi ukucutshungulwa kwawo kuqhubeke kusukela kulelo zinga owabe usufike kulo ePhalamendeni lesiBili ngenkathi uphela, okungukuthi lo mThethosivivinywa wabe sewamukelwe uMkhandlu kaZwelonke weziFundazwe futhi ususezithebeni zekomidi loMkhandlu kaZwelonke:

(1) National Environmental Management: Air Quality Bill [B 62B - 2003] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76).

Kwavunyelwana. (Translation of Zulu draft resolution follows.)

[The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Madam Speaker, I move the draft resolution printed in my name on the Order Paper, as follows:

That, subject to the concurrence of the National Council of Provinces, the following Bill be revived and consideration thereof be resumed from the stage reached with it in the second Parliament before lapsing, namely that the Bill had been passed by the National Council of Provinces and was before a committee of the National Assembly:

(1) National Environmental Management: Air Quality Bill [B 62B - 2003] (National Council of Provinces - sec 76.)

Agreed to.] SUSPENSION OF RULE 253(1) TO CONDUCT THE SECOND READING DEBATE ON ELECTORAL COMMISSION AMENDMENT BILL

                         (Draft Resolution)

The CHIEF WHIP OF THE MAJORITY PARTY: Madam Speaker, I move the draft resolution printed in my name on the Order Paper, as follows:

That Rule 253(1) be suspended for the purposes of conducting the Second Reading debate on the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill [B 7 - 2004] (National Assembly - sec 75) before three working days have elapsed since the committee’s report was tabled.

Agreed to.

                        WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY

                             (Statement)

The SPEAKER: The next item on the Order Paper is the statement by the hon Minister of Health, on World Blood Donor Day. Hon members, before the Minister of Health starts to speak, I wish to inform the House that, by agreement, there will be no party responses to the statement.

The MINISTER OF HEALTH: Madam Speaker, hon members, thank you very much. Yesterday was a very special day for our country, South Africa. For the first time, the world focused on this country as we were hosting the international event to mark the World Blood Donor Day for the first time in our country - actually on the continent itself, Africa.

This is the day when the whole world joined in celebrations to honour and thank those people who donate their blood on a voluntary unpaid basis to give the most precious gift of all, the gift of life. In South Africa, we have taken an approach that no tissue, blood or blood products should be commercialised. Therefore donors form the backbone of our blood transfusion services and are the source of life for many people who may need blood. That is why yesterday and today, as a country, we say thank you to all donors for their unselfish dedication to fellow South Africans. They are giving a precious gift to people who will probably never know them, but whose lives will be saved by their donations.

Because of its dedicated donors, South Africa is proud of its record in providing safe blood to those in need. We are already experiencing the benefits of having a single blood transfusion service. This is with the exception, of course, of the Western Cape, which we hope will ultimately come on board and be part of this national asset.

The benefits of having a single national blood transfusion service include, amongst others, adequate national preparedness in case of national disasters, sustainability of blood supply, standardisation of quality criteria, and better funding for research and sharing of national research outcomes.

The focus of World Blood Donor Day this year is the youth. We need to encourage the youth of our country, South Africa, to safeguard their health by caring for a precious life-saver, their blood. School-leavers are encouraged to enrol in Club 25, a special programme for donors between 18 and 25 years of age. The club helps to establish a donor culture and to ensure safe blood for transfusion. We are looking for donors that lead healthy lifestyles and are responsible in their sexual practices. We are thus looking for low-risk donors who are free of potentially life- threatening infections that can be transmitted to recipients of their blood, including HIV, hepatitis viruses, syphilis and malaria.

The testing of donated blood for infections that can be transmitted by blood is also very essential. But the safest donations come from the safest donors. A well-organised blood donor programme with a self-exclusion option based on voluntary blood donation can achieve a low prevalence of HIV among blood donors, even where there is a high incidence of HIV infection in the general population.

While we grapple with the challenge of a relatively high prevalence of HIV in our country, it is, for me and us all, encouraging to note that there is only 0,04% HIV prevalence among our regular blood donors. As a country, we have made major efforts to ensure that donated blood is screened for a variety of infections and to maximise the safety of our blood transfusion services, especially in the context, as I have said, of course, of HIV and Aids.

Every second, someone in the world needs blood. These millions of people owe their lives to people they will never meet, people who donate their blood freely, without any reward. Unfortunately, many others die every day because they do not have access to safe blood when they actually need it.

Blood shortage has a particular impact on children with severe life- threatening anaemia caused by malaria and malnutrition, victims of trauma and women with complications of pregnancy. A significant number of deaths can be avoided if everybody has access to a safe supply of this life-saving resource - the gift of life. This can only be achieved through a significant increase in the number of people who choose to donate blood regularly so that blood is always available for patients whose treatment depends on transfusion.

All blood donors are miracle workers. I want to urge you to encourage your healthy friends, families and constituencies to become miracle workers as well. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to lead healthy lifestyles in order to protect ourselves and keep our blood safe. The donation of blood is an act of generosity and love. Our Government is committed to supporting a single blood transfusion service and the supply of blood to everybody in need of this gift of life. I also donated a pint of blood yesterday, and I urge members to please donate blood because we need it. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

                 ELECTORAL COMMISSION AMENDMENT BILL

                       (Second Reading debate)

The MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Madam Speaker, hon members, dear friends, I must thank you for allowing us to present this Bill to you at this stage in your already busy programme for this current session of Parliament. We appreciate the understanding we received from everybody, including most of the political parties who sympathise with our urgent need to bring this Bill before the House as a result of circumstances over which we had no control.

The Bill itself is a one-paragraph text that seeks to amend the Electoral Commission Act, Act 51 of 1996 so as to make provision for the President to extend the term of office of a member of the commission for a specified period under certain circumstances, and to provide for matters connected therewith. This was as a result of the pending expiry of the current term of certain commissioners within the IEC and the indication by the Chief Justice that the panel that he convenes, that is responsible for the appointment of new commissioners, will not have finalised its work by the time the pending deadline arrives.

Section 7 of the principal Act that deals with the term of office of members currently does not provide for an extension under circumstances such as those we are faced with now. We therefore thought it necessary to effect this amendment. We want to assure hon members that we have been sensitive to the reality that what we are dealing with here is a Chapter 9 institution, and that is very central to our democracy. Every consideration has been made to ensure that, as far as possible, the integrity and respect of these institutions is maintained. We would not hastily bring this amendment before you, were it not utterly necessary. I therefore present the Electoral Commission Amendment Bill for consideration by this House. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr M SWART: Madam Speaker, the necessity for extending the tenure of service of the commissioners of the Electoral Commission we understand. We do not have a problem with its being extended. The suggestion is that it should be extended until 30 September, and that is also reasonable.

Unfortunately, however, the situation is that if we accept the Bill or the amendment as it is presented at the moment, it could be unconstitutional because the President, or the majority party in Parliament, will be able in future years to extend the tenure of service of commissioners for any length of time.

Therefore we feel that the Bill should at the moment be phrased in such a way that it only allows the extension for a specified period, and that it will then be finished and that that would be the end of it. Unfortunately, the DA cannot support the Bill as it stands. Thank you.

Mr S N SWART: Madam Speaker, the ACDP appreciates that the amendment is necessary since the term of office of the current members of the Electoral Commission expires on 30 June 2004, and the nomination process and consequent appointment of members cannot be finalised before that date.

Whilst we understand that the relevant members’ term of office will only be extended for a three-month period, the question arises, since the situation was foreseeable, why steps were not taken timeously to ensure that the commission would not be faced with this dilemma. During discussions in the portfolio committee I suggested that the amendment should place a limit on the specified period by which a member’s term of office can be extended by adding that that specified period should, for example, not exceed one year. By leaving the specified period open- ended, a member of the Electoral Commission could conceivably have his or her term of office extended by a number of years and could thereafter be re- appointed for a further term of office. According to the State Law Adviser such further terms of office would include the term by which that member’s term was extended in accordance with this draft amendment.

That having been said, the ACDP is mindful that the President must act on the recommendation of the National Assembly in extending a member’s term of office. The ACDP will, in view of the dilemma faced by the Electoral Commission and in order to resolve this impasse, support this amendment. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr Y WANG: Madam Speaker, as we understand the urgency of the matter, the ID would like to agree and support the amendment because it is necessary for us to have a commissioner. We should not have a vacuum at this stage. However, we should try and avoid this in future and we should put in the necessary procedures to avoid this kind of oversight. This could have been avoided, as we had a deadline that was set long before the date. Thank you. [Applause.]

Mr H P CHAUKE: Madam Speaker, firstly, I want to thank the members of the portfolio committee for the smooth passage of this piece of legislation. I think it was quite wonderful, while they were working under pressure, that all parties were able to agree.

As far as the fears of the DA are concerned, I think there is no need for them to be scared. We are not going to legislate based on what we want to address now. This is a crisis that we need to address. There is no way that we can put dates on the Electoral Commission Act, because that would definitely be out of order. But I understand the fears, obviously. The member who is new wants to prove to Gibson and everybody that he wants to drive this thing.

Nevertheless, on Friday we will be passing the resolution of the House. The resolution of the House is only valid for a period of three months. We do not want to prolong this thing to a year. If we have it for a year, it will definitely give us problems. We will only do it for a period of three months. At the same time there are parallel situations. The Constitutional Court judge is busy with another process of nomination. I think you have seen the advert in the newspaper. The committee is going to appoint new members of the commission, so you don’t have to be scared. This process serves only to address this problem. We were supposed to have dealt with it during election time, but there was obviously nobody here. I think we need to understand that one.

It is surprising that the DA, now that the Minister is no longer the one that they wanted, is starting to make a noise. There is no need to make a noise now. Support the current Minister and let’s make sure that on Friday we pass the resolution accordingly. I thank you very much. [Applause.]

Debate concluded.

Bill read a second time (Democratic Alliance dissenting).

YOUNG PEOPLE CELEBRATING A DECADE OF FREEDOM AND SEIZING THE OPPORTUNITIES OF DEMOCRACY

                      (Subject for Discussion)

The DEPUTY MINISTER OF HOME AFFAIRS: Madam Speaker, hon members, please allow me to invite the House to join me in wishing our mother, Martha Mahlangu - Solomon Mahlangu’s mother - a happy 81st birthday today. [Applause.]

I further ask the House to join me in congratulating another leader of our youth, Fikile Mbalula, who, in February this year, was elected president of the International Union of Socialist Youth, the largest international youth organisation, making him the first African president of this organisation in its 100-year history. [Applause.]

Tomorrow our country and our people shall observe the 28th anniversary of the 1976 Soweto uprising. As well as commemorating a savage massacre, we shall focus on the challenges that face young people during this 28th national Youth Day. It is thus fitting that this august House should hold this debate on the important occasion on which we are duty-bound to salute the founders of this memorable day and the millions of youth who kept its legacy alive. Among them is that youth icon and fiery young lion, Peter Mokaba, whose second death anniversary we commemorate this year, and whose roaring chants continue to inspire our generation, commanding all youth to the front lines of the struggle. We thank Peter Mokaba and the youth of 1976 for teaching us what it meant to be youth, a lesson that became invaluable during this past decade as we grappled with our role as youth during the period of democratic construction. Because of their extraordinary example, we have had little difficulty reaching the correct conclusion: that to be youth means to be activists for fundamental change; providing solutions to all the problems our people face, free from the fear of what that struggle may entail or demand. They taught us to always act within the understanding of what our people see as their very interests, guided by the knowledge and conviction that our interests as young people, whatever these may be, are similar to the interests of our people for a better life.

This perspective has continued to influence today’s generations of youth, who have proven that youth apathy is a mere fabrication. And during the previous general elections they flooded the polls to sign the people’s contract, and refused to be left out because they knew that this people’s contract was in their very best interests. Today, these youth are united with their people in action to combat poverty, continuing to hold onto the conviction that youth interests and aspirations are similar to those of our people as a whole. Accordingly, during the past 10 years, we have embarked on united youth action to advance both our interests as well as those of our nation as a whole. The National Youth Commission, the National Youth Policy, Umsobomvu Youth Fund, the SA Youth Council and the National Youth Service programme have all been achieved because of this collective youth action. The acceptance across our nation today of the need both for youth development and empowerment, as well as for youth mobilisation, is directly owed to the united youth action of this past decade. United youth action proved decisive during the past decade, given that when it began we were still faced with the stark colonial and apartheid legacy, which had denied black youth access to quality education, to training, to assets, and basic income, as it nurtured them for a future of exploitation and oppression.

As a result, by the 80s the youth lacked the very basic means to thrive in the social and economic system, as was corroborated by the surveys of both the Community Agency for Social Inquiry, as well as Census 96. Census 96 had found the situation of the youth to be dire, especially in relation to education levels, job opportunities as well as prospects for quality of life, especially among the African, female and rural youth. This situation threw them into the deprivation trap which made them, especially the female youth, vulnerable and powerless regarding the decisions and choices pertaining to the quality of their own lives.

The hallmark of the past decade was the attainment and consolidation of freedom and democracy in our country, which both ushered in immense political and social changes and unlocked many opportunities that had not existed for us before to participate in the fields we had never been exposed to or allowed to participate in, including sport, arts, education, culture and the media. Today, one can watch home-grown drama on TV and community arts in community theatres. We can shout for our township boys playing in cup competitions for big European soccer teams. We can shout for our neighbourhood girls who are taking on the world in sports, arts and music; and we can dance to kwaito every weekend.

Freedom has created the opportunities for us to enhance and expand our knowledge and skills, including through the National Students Financial Aid Scheme - which has reached about 700 000 historically disadvantaged tertiary students, and together with affirmative action, has provided enormous opportunities for a wide spectrum of career choices and opportunities, resulting in an increasing layer of professionals among the black youth.

The provision of water, electricity and basic services to millions of households freed millions of especially rural young women from the burden of disease, stunted growth and danger as they walked miles on foot to forests and dams, across dangerous plains, carrying heavy water containers and loads of wood on their heads.

The creation of the National Youth Commission and Umsobomvu Youth Fund raised the profile of youth needs, legitimised the youth-focused development paradigm, and resulted in the integrated youth development framework and the establishment of an equity fund to expedite skills and enterprise development among the youth. Today, more than 88 159 young people have been empowered in one or another Umsobomvu Youth Fund programme.

Our Government has made it its conscious decision to reverse the legacy of the past centuries, and has not left this to chance, fate or the logic of the market forces alone. This is a matter that has been given priority for the next five years. There are many Government departments that have taken decisive steps with regard to youth development.

Gradually, the centuries of colonial and apartheid injustices are being unravelled. But the problem of youth economic marginalisation persists, and imposes the urgent need to integrate them into the mainstream productive economy. Accordingly, the mass organisations of the youth must be strengthened at all levels and we must raise their capacity and impart to the youth the necessary skills for them to carry out their tasks as the shock troops of the people’s contract against poverty.

As we enter this decisive period ahead, we must aim for and achieve the greatest possible mobilisation, organisation and united action among the youth of our country. The difficult challenges posed by the Second Economy constitute a real possibility that we can unite our youth in action into a people’s contract in pursuit of our common interests and destiny through adhering to the dialectical principle of youth mobilisation for youth development, and youth development for youth mobilisation. This will require that we continue to support and strengthen the capacities of youth development agencies, the National Youth Commission and the SA Youth Council as well as the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.

At the core of the effort to raise the capacity of the youth is the question of raising their skills levels. In this regard, we must continue to prioritise the National Youth Service programme. And I am happy to say that there is very concrete progress on this matter and the youth are going to see concrete outcomes through co-operation between the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, which will make it possible to advance speedily.

Working with Government, youth and student organisations must meet the obligation to create the graduate register about which the President spoke on 21 May. We must continue to work with the Government to ensure that the Setas realise the targets set by the Growth and Development Summit for the recruitment of 72 000 learners this year, 98% of whom must be below 35 years of age.

Various Government departments, including state-owned enterprises, must be encouraged to meet their learnership and internship challenges and obligations. The National Students Financial Aid Scheme needs to be reviewed to eliminate the current problems that result in many black students facing many serious problems, including financial exclusion, inaccessibility of the scheme, as well as blacklisting.

We must also consider how we can, as a matter of urgency, utilise the Expanded Public Works Programme to provide social alternatives to young people such as those at Imizamo Yethu, who are without multifaceted sports and community centres so that after school or during weekends they have no alternative social activities, which makes them vulnerable to crime. At the same time, we must explore the possibility of mobilising resources from the Expanded Public Works Programme to recapitalise historically African tertiary institutions in order to raise them to a level worthy of tertiary learning, equal with their formerly white counterparts.

The challenge that we will face increasingly this year is to move beyond rhetoric to practical and concrete action plans with regard to youth economic empowerment through, amongst others, developing concrete plans to raise the capacity of the youth to seize the opportunities that will be presented by the Apex Fund, the National Empowerment Fund and other BEE funds and programmes, as well as the empowerment charters and through direct youth participation in the BEE Advisory Council.

Amongst other things, young people complain that they lack access to micro credit in order to breathe life into their initiatives. Many even find it difficult to access the Umsobomvu Youth Fund and complain that they lack information about it, that they lack sufficient access to its services and that they find it difficult to comply with its requirements - which they often find stringent. Obviously, we must deal with this matter comprehensively. These issues are as important to the youth of our country as they are to the nation as a whole. We call on our nation to engage in united action, together with young people, to ensure that we raise the competencies and capacities of the youth so that they can be able to fulfil their historical duty at the head of our processes of transformation.

The matters of youth development, which this 28th anniversary of the June 16 uprising is faced with, are matters that are critical to the sustainability of our development. Our prayer today is that this august House will continue to pay urgent and close attention to youth development and empowerment, given its vital importance to the sustainable development of our country, indeed, to inspire the youth. Thank you, Madam Speaker. [Applause.]

Mr C M MORKEL: Madam Speaker, members of the executive, those that are here

• I just note that the Minister responsible for youth in the Presidency, Minister Essop Pahad, is not here today - colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, it is a particular honour and privilege for me to participate in this debate today.

You see, Madam Speaker, 10 years ago I was part of the broad movement of youth who paralleled our senior negotiators to discuss the future role and empowerment of our youth in what would become the new South Africa.

It was an exciting time, characterised by debates in bilaterals, multilaterals and broad fora. It was a time when we all made our contribution towards a negotiated settlement that we hoped would bring about a real change in the quality of life and status of our youth. It was certainly a breath of fresh air to confront our common challenges, instead of confronting each other as we did in the 1980s and previous decades.

Some of the youth leaders of that era are here today, in this very House and in the executive. It is that time of the political year, once again, when we take stock of much of the progress that we have made since we last celebrated the Youth Day. But, this year we also need to assess our achievements and failures over the past 10 years of democracy and look forward to the challenges that face us over the next decade.

I would, therefore, say that this institution, Parliament, has to its benefit the collective memories, knowledge and experience of some of the key role-players in the youth development sector that characterised the early 1990s in particular.

Much of the debate of that era was defined by the seminal work done by Dr Frederick van Zyl Slabbert on an institutional framework and strategy that would facilitate youth development in the new South Africa. To a large extent, the debate then also focused on what some referred to as the ``lost generation’’.

That era was concluded by a broad consensus that a mechanism needed to be located in the highest chambers of decision-making to deal with the challenges so well-documented by the works of Van Zyl Slabbert, people such as Helen Zille, who convened and facilitated youth development fora in the Western Cape, and organisations such as the Community Agency for Social Inquiry. This led to the establishment of institutions such as the National Youth Commission, the SA Youth Council and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund.

These works collectively establish a benchmark against which we, today, can conduct a comparative analysis of the quality of life and the status of our youth 10 years since our new nation’s negotiators gave birth to our democracy.

It is with this yardstick that I, today, wish to declare that although we should celebrate, there is, to all intents and purposes, a mechanism to facilitate youth development that is in fact located in the highest decision-making chambers of our new nation, the form and modus operandi of the National Youth Commission and its inter-related structures require some streamlining.

Preceding the recent general election, many televised debates focused on the youth vote and solicited comment from the youth representatives from various organisations across the spectrum of civil society. Each of those televised programmes left one with the distinct impression that the youth, outside of the DA’s youth movement, were disappointed, even angry, at the lack of progress with Government’s youth development strategy and mechanisms. And I think the Deputy Minister also referred to the angst out there as well.

Most participants on those and other platforms of debate clearly communicated this, that notwithstanding the efforts of Government, they felt as marginalised, disempowered and lost as previous generations of youth in South Africa.

This, I dare say, can be one of the major reasons why I disagree with the previous speaker that there has been a drop in votes for the governing party. Although there has been an increase in votes for the DA, I would, nevertheless, say that no one has gained from the stay-away youth vote. We must all grasp and heed this important message from our nation’s youth.

So where are the youthful voters, where have they gone? And it is clear that they have, to some extent, disengaged from participation in our political youth structures and in the processes of our young democracy in general.

Many have joined religious, cultural and sports organisations to find new forms of expression and empowerment. But many youth, black and white, have also simply sought to escape the painful realities of their disempowerment by staring at the world that confronts them through the bottom of a bottle. Many, too, have started to experiment with very destructive substances such as ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, crystal meth, better known as ``tik’’ and blue ice. Some have, as a direct or indirect consequence of their disempowerment, resorted to crime, especially gangsterism, to survive or to simply sustain their means of escape.

I believe substance abuse is reaching such pandemic proportions that the pool of youth leaders who must surely take over from us is becoming ever smaller. From anecdotal evidence alone and some knowledge of the work being done by NGOs and community-based organisations, I believe that this matter warrants a special investigation by this House.

I therefore call upon you, Madam Speaker, to convene a special or ad hoc committee that would urgently conduct public hearings and receive input on the extent, causes and effects of the abuse of all manner of substances by our youth. Lest we forget, our collective failure, and that of Government in particular, to deal with the scourge of drug dealing will in all likelihood give impetus to the resurgence of militant vigilantism like we have never seen before. It is foreseeable that such community-driven action would be even worse than that which we saw in the mid-1990s.

For the common destiny of our country, every effort that we make here and in the next 10 years must be focused on the legacy that we want and need to leave for the next generation. As we celebrate Youth Day tomorrow, I ask everyone in this House and all our youth out there to enjoy the day by having good, clean fun. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr B W DHLAMINI: Madam Speaker and hon members, young people today are growing up in the light of human rights culture and not in the shadow of prejudice and discrimination. Great progress has been made over the past decade in inculcating in our young people a spirit of tolerance, a generosity of spirit and a willingness to comprehend otherness.

Young people have a fresh canvass on which to paint their futures in colourful bold strokes. We have been fortunate in that we have been led by a dazzling wealth of icons, women and men who have embodied the spirit of freedom and democracy, such as Nelson Mandela, Helen Suzman, Mangosuthu Buthelezi and Desmond Tutu.

We can boast of Mark Shuttleworth, Africa’s first astronaut in space, and before the age of 30. We are inspired by the rugby players, Francois Pienaar and Breyton Paulse. At the cricket crease, there is Graeme Smith and Makhaya Ntini. On the soccer field, we have Lucas Radebe and Benni McCarthy, to name just a few. In the arts, though she has slipped off the mortal coil, we would not stop dancing to the music of irrepressible Brenda Fassie. And the writer, Mongane Wally Serote, will continue, I am sure, to absorb us with the elegance and rhyme of his prose.

We also know that for many young people the first decade of democracy has not reaped such a rich harvest. According to the Child Rights Organisation, many people live in conditions where their rights are threatened. HIV and Aids is without doubt the biggest threat to our freedom and democracy. The disease mows down our youth by their thousands and each week and often children are left to head their families. Many families cannot afford to send their children to decent schools. Other young people are refugees fleeing war-torn regions.

In this regard, Madam Speaker, allow me to make just two more points in the few minutes I have. Firstly, our elderly statesmen and women had laid the foundation for peace, but it is for today’s young people to take forward the process of nation-building and reconciliation. The task of national unity is still a work in progress. In this regard, I am personally and particularly concerned about the completion of the process of reconciliation between the ANC and IFP.

The other point I would like to make is that the Constitution of our country provides that everyone has a right to basic education. We have still to define what we mean by “basic”. I believe that the promise of democracy and freedom means very little when our youth do not have access to a decent education as it was spelled out by the hon Deputy Minister. It is my fervent hope that we use the occasion of the first decade of democracy to ensure that all young people are provided with an education. It is after all, the best gift we can give to them.

The IFP urges the youth of South Africa to take advantage of life and handsome opportunities provided by these opportunities of democracy, so that they can truly realise their full potential and God-given rights. This they should do as a tribute to those young brave women and men of 1976. The youth of 1976 lit the liberation torch. It is up to this generation to shine the light, and I thank you. [Applause.]

The SPEAKER: Hon members, hon Kekana will speak briefly from the podium, but another hon member will complete his speech, as there is some problem with the Braille reading. [Applause.]

Mr C D KEKANA: Madam Speaker, I will be following in the footsteps of the previous speaker who celebrated the Soweto student uprising. I’m just going to highlight, like you have said, a few key points that appear in my speech, and Oupa Monareng is going to do the actual presentation.

The first thing in the speech I want to highlight is my salute the leadership of the student uprising, people like Tsietsi Mashinini, who was our first president of the Soweto Student Representative Council (SSRC), Dan Montsisi, Merfurson Merowe and the most famous, Hector Petersen, who died on the day of the riots.

The speech thereafter gives the background to why there was that student uprising. It is just a reminder, because I’m sure that most of you are familiar with the details. It mentions that the uprising actually took place as an anger articulated by black people and black students against white domination. And it explains what is meant by white domination. It means economic domination, because the financial institutions, the industry and commerce were then almost exclusively dominated by whites.

It also means political domination. The then government denied blacks franchise rights and the whole administration was actually either controlled or managed exclusively by whites. This resulted in anger. This was the anger that was articulated by the youth of 1976 when they rose. It wasn’t merely a matter of turning against Afrikaans, but all this culminated to anger the youth to take a stand against white domination.

The speech goes further by saying that we celebrate that role played by the youth that was positive, because it brought about the transformation of the sociopolitical system in South Africa. However, the people complain about the economic sector, because they feel that the economic structures are still predominantly owned by whites. And the speech says that it hopes that through our political system, because we as parents need to guide our youth, we can bring about economic transformation by means of bringing about black empowerment and job creation in this country. It is also mentioned in the speech that it is hoped that that will happen without another youth revolt to transform the economy.

The speech is about the analogy that existed between the formation of the ANC in 1944, when Mandela and Tambo contributed to that formation of the youth league; and it draws an analogy with the Soweto student riots, because while the formation of the ANC Youth League revitalised the ANC in terms of giving it militancy and fresh blood, that actually took the ANC to higher political levels, for example the defiance campaigns in the fifties and the formation of uMkhonto weSizwe, the military wing of the ANC in the 1960s. The same happened with the Soweto riots. It actually revitalised the liberation struggle in South Africa, because a lot of activists that were there during 1976 re-emerged and resurfaced in the ANC and its military wing. Here we mention a few names, like Solomon Mahlangu, who was the first MK cadre to die after coming back to the country to fight. He was a product of 1976 and a hero. He went underground and resurfaced in the ANC. It is said that the youth then revitalised the liberation struggle in the seventies and the eighties with the young lions to the extent that we can ultimately celebrate our liberation today.

I’m now going to give over to Oupa Monareng to take you through the speech. I thank you. [Applause.]

Mr O E MONARENG: Madam Speaker, for purposes of the record, I will just read the speech as it is: We celebrate and pay tribute to the youth of South Africa as led by fearless fighters like Tsietsi Mashinini, Dan Montsisi, Merfurson Merowe and a world-known hero, Hector Petersen. Tribute is due to the youth of 16 June, year of fire and year of ash. The youth, through burning, were expressing black anger against white domination, in the form of political hegemony, economic exploitation, social segregation and brute force.

Soweto, a town not appearing on most maps by then, was to find itself as focus of international media. Its then population of 1,3 million served half a million whites as labourers in their homes, shops and factories. The youth’s revolt ventilated in terms of black anger, which in fact was an articulation of the basic truth about South Africa where capital and finance were exclusively under white control. Industry and commerce were almost entirely owned and managed by whites. Parliament and its institutions were reserved for whites, and all major bodies of the state were either exclusively managed or controlled by white personnel.

Ever since the period of the Soweto youth revolt, our own society has undergone some of the most profound changes. The ushering in of the new democracy in 1994, and the transformation of the state and its apparatus are such changes in the political system. The future challenges of our youth are in ways completely foreign to their predecessors. Yet it is the responsibility of the adult society, that is us who govern and other emerging establishments, to assist the youth in responding positively to the challenges of the future. Youth faces an uncharted terrain, and adults have to provide the trail maps.

In 1976 South Africa’s youth took the centre stage and remained there throughout the unrest and strife of the eighties. Many youths who took part in the 1976 - uprising went underground due to state suppression, only to resurface in the gallant organisation of the people, the ANC and its military wing uMkhonto weSizwe, and Solomon Mahlangu is an example.

The youth uprising of 1976 and its offshoots into the 1980s have resulted in a range of sociopolitical activities. The activities had at least two major effects on the South African society: Positively it helped to engineer sociopolitical transformation through contributing to the liberation struggle, and yet negatively, it caused a lost generation which is unruly, ill-disciplined and involved in crimes such as using and dealing in drugs, car hi-jacking, juvenile delinquency and many other social maladjustments.

Today we celebrate a decade of liberation and the youth can seize the opportunities mentioned in the President’s state of the nation address, which has provided for various youth developmental avenues, like the Learnership National Project and the Umsobomvu Youth Project. We once more pay tribute to the youth that contributed positively to the sociopolitical transformation, and we trust the economic transformation will take place in terms of black empowerment, that is black ownership and job creation. The SPEAKER: Happy birthday.

Mr L W GREYLING: Thank you. That means that I was only three years old when the tragic events of the Soweto uprisings took place. I was obviously too young at that stage to realise the significance of that event for our country’s history, but when I went to vote for the first time in the elections of 1994 I was very aware of the role that those students had played in bringing our country to democracy.

I was also aware that what they did was to galvanise the world’s opinion as to the horrendous nature of the apartheid state. What it also showed, however, was that those students felt outraged over their freedom of thought being oppressed. This is a vivid lesson for us in South Africa in that we have to allow freedom of expression of the youth and we should never prevent them from playing the important role of watchdogs of our new democracy.

It is often said that the young people are our future, but we in the ID also believe that they are our present. They are leaders in many important spheres in our society. They are showing the ideals of racial integration and reconciliation. They are bringing these ideals into being every day and, in many respects, are in fact leading us in the way that this should occur. Young people also possess an amazing optimism and thrive on critical debate. These are values that we need to ensure are enshrined in this House, or otherwise we run the risk of alienating the young people from our political landscape.

It is also an unfortunate reality that many young people in our land are not given the opportunity to truly be young. From a very young age they have to confront issues such as poverty, unemployment, HIV/Aids and crime. It is our duty as people in the House to ensure that young people are protected from these scourges so that they can develop the optimism and the creativity to bring forward the new society we all dream of.

As a young member of Parliament and of a young and growing political party, the ID, I was … [Time expired.] [Applause.]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Belated happy birthday.

Ms C B JOHNSON: Madam Deputy Speaker and hon members, whilst I was preparing for the address, I asked myself whether Youth Day was something to be celebrated by our youth in particular, or whether it was to be celebrated by all of us as nation? The second question I asked myself - this being the more personal question because I, too, like the hon Greyling am 31 years old, and I do make full and frank disclosure to the House - was whether I as a 31-year-old could even still be speaking on behalf of our youth. This is because those of us who are today in our early and mid- thirties grew up in a different world from that of the youth of today. The best way, in fact the only way, for me to try to explain the importance of celebrating Youth Day is to try to strike a comparison between my generation, those of us in our early and mid-thirties, and the generation who are now in high school and at university.

They, the youth of today - those in high school and at university at present - will never have to use one entrance at the Post Office, while their friends have to use another. They will never have to see their international sporting teams having bags of flour hurled at them on a rugby field, because they are not welcome to compete internationally. They will never really have to know the difference between a Casspir, a Ratel'' and aBuffel’’. They will never have to ask their parents what exactly a state of emergency is. And they will never have to live in a country that is at war with itself.

So, whilst there may not be decades of difference in the years between us, we - that is my generation - lived in a different world. The defining difference is our democracy and the freedom that that democracy has brought us, a democracy which brings with it all the opportunities and all the promises of hope.

So while we celebrate tomorrow, let those of us who are old enough to remember, never forget. Let those of us who are too young to remember, build and strengthen that democracy that we were born into. Let all of us as a nation celebrate Youth Day and celebrate what we have achieved, and let us celebrate with pride and gratitude. [Time expired.] [Applause.]

Mme M S MAINE: Modulasetilo le maloko a a tlotlegang, ga go na ka moo re ka lebalang dingwaga tse 28 tse di fetileng. Letsatsi la 16 Seetebosigo le tla nna le rona le dikokomane tsa rona. Bangwe ga le kae sepe mo go bona, fela rona jaaka batsadi le ntse jaaka maabane mo go rona.

Pele ga foo le morago ga letsatsi leo, ANC ga e ise e tlogele baswa ba yona kwa morago. Re ne re rutilwe ke lefoko la ga moswi Cde Oliver Tambo le le reng, ke a mo nopola, ``Setshaba se se sa beeletseng mo baneng ba sona, ke se se latlhegileng.’’ Ka jalo rona dipeeletso tsotlhe tse re di dirang ke tsa go aga baswa ba rona le isago ya bona.

Re na le boikarabelo jaaka batsadi go bona gore le rona ga re tlogele bana ba rona kwa morago. Re ba rate, re ba tshegetse, e bile re ba rute. Re seka ra nna batsadi ba ba ntshang melao e bile ba sa batle go ganediwa kgotsa go botsolotswa. A bana ba rona e nne ditsala tsa rona. Motsadi o o tshabiwang ke bana ga a na tlotlo. Bana ba rona ba tshwanetse go re tlotla le go re tshepa, e seng go re tshaba.

Re tlhoka go dira se ka gore ANC jaaka puso e tlhokometse gore mafapha a tsenyeletse thupiso ya baswa mo manaaneng a ona gore ba nne isago e e botoka. Rona jaaka batsadi re tshwanetse go tlhokomela gore bana ba rona ba dira ka thata le gore ba se tlogele ditshono tse ba di fiwang. Kgwetlho ya lona bana ba rona e kwa godimo mme ga go ka moo go ka itshokelwang yo o botswa. Le tshwanetse go tsoga la itirela, bana ba rona. Boeteledipele jwa baswa ba rona bo dira ka thata fela pelaelo ya me ke gore, ba ne ba sa lebelela gore mathata a baswa mo nageng eno a mo boemong jo bo boitshegang jang. Ba ne ba sa fiwa ke ope dipalopalo tsa mathata a a lebaneng le baswa ka gore mo nakong e e fetileng go ne go lebeletswe fela setlhotswana se sennye. Bontsi jwa baswa ba rona ga bo a rutega, bontsi ga bo na maitemogelo, bontsi ga bo dire, bontsi bo nna mo lehumeng, e bile bontsi bo tshwaeditswe ke kokwana-twatsi ya Aids.

Puso e dira ka gotlhe e bile e tlhomile diporogerama tse di lebaganeng le baswa go fokotsa mathata a bona. Bana ba rona ba rutegile go re gaisa ka go rutiwa ka tsa thobalano, ka jalo ba tshwanetse go dira ka gotlhe gore ba se tsene mo thobalanong e e sa sireletsegang. Puso e dira ka thata gore go nne le dithuto tse di tsweletseng mabapi le seo, ga re tlhoke go nna le baswa ba ba sa ntseng ba apere kobo ya boitlhokomoloso. Go oketsega ga palo ya baswa mo twatsing eno go tlholosa botlhaswa bo bontsi bo ba tsamayang ka jona.

Ka jalo re dira boikuelo mo basweng ba ba leng mo boeteledipeleng le ba re nang le bona mo pusong gore tiro ya lona le rona e tshwanetse go nna go semelela go bona gore baswa ba a tlhokomelwa go feta mo malobeng gore le bona ba itlhokomele. Diritibatsi ke sengwe se se re tshwenyang thata jaaka batsadi le puso. Go kgonega jang gore mo go tlhokeng tiro ga lona le le baswa, mo leubeng le le tlhasetseng, mo dintshong tse di boitshegang tse, go be go na le palo gape e e kwa godimo ya baswa ba ba dirisang diritibatsi? A se, se tlholwa ke gore boradiritibatsi ba duela baswa ba rona tlhwatlhwa e e kwa godimo?

Bana ba rona ba tshwanetse go itse gore re lebeletse ka boikgogomoso botlhe ba ba fitlheletseng ditoro tsa bona, ba ba nang le ditoro e bile ba di setse morago, le ba ba ithutang ka thata gore ba rute ba bangwe, mafapha a puso a a nang le manaane a a rupisang baswa le go ba rotloetsa go ikaga le go fetola ikonomi.

Afrika Borwa ke nngwe ya dinaga tse di mmalwa tse di dirang ka thata go bona gore baswa ba yona ba mo boemong jwa go itlhabolola le gore le bona ba se tshelele mo lehumeng jaaka batsadi ba bona, ba dire ka thata ho atlarela ditshono tseo ba di abelwang.

Mathata a baswa ga a na go fedisiwa ka gangwe. Fela re bona gore bana ba rona …

``… are on the right track.’’ [… ba mo tseleng e e siameng.] Dirang ka thata, re na le lona bana ba rona. Bomme a re emeng re rute barwadi ba rona gore ga re a direlwa go bona bana le go apeela banna jaaka e ne e le tumelo pele. Ga jaana re di etelela pele. Barwadi ba rona go tlhagelela ka magetla le go ganana le go robalana kwa ntle ga mosomelwana.

Baswa ba rona, totshe ke eo, puso e e beile fa godimo ga lebota, e phamoleng le tabogeng ya yona go potologa Afrika. Fela pele le ka dira jalo, le simolole ka fa gae e leng, e leng mo go Afrika Borwa. Ke na le leboko le lekhutshwane le ke le kwaletseng baswa ke bua jaana ke re:

Baswa ba Afrika ba lo ntlheng ya Borwa, iphomoleng dikgapa, le tsholetse difatlhego. Moporesidente Mbeki o a le laletsa, tlogelang go direlwa jaaka nama le le batho.

Bonang ‘tsala tsa lona ka dikhutlo tsa Afrika, aga se makatlakatla, namane tseeno tse ‘ntsho, di kitlane ka magetla, di tlhatloga ka bothata.

Tshwaraganang meropa, le itshupeng ka bonatla, kgetse ya tsie e kgonwa ke go tshwaraganelwa. Utlwang Moporesidente Mbeki o a le botsa, le diretseng Afrika, morwadia mono borwa, ka tiro, thuto, botshelo.

[Legofi.] (Translation of Tswana speech follows.)

[Mrs M S MAINE: Mr Chairperson and hon member, there is no way in which we can ever forget the past 28 years. June 16 will always be with us and our following generations. For some it does not mean anything, but for us, as parents, it is as though it happened yesterday.

Before and after that day, the ANC never left its youth behind. We learned from the words of the late Comrade Oliver Tambo, who said, and I quote: ``A nation that does not invest in its children is a lost nation’’. Therefore, all the investments that we make are aimed at building up our youth and their future.

We have a responsibility as parents not to leave our children behind, but to love them, to support them and to teach them. As parents we must not be dictators who cannot tolerate contradiction. Let our children be our friends. A parent who is feared by the children is a parent who is not respected. Our children should respect us, not fear us.

We need to do this because the ANC, as the Government, sees to it that all its departments provide for the training of our youth in their programmes in order to ensure a better future for them. We, as parents, must see to it that our children pull up their socks and, furthermore, that they do not miss the opportunities when they are presented to them. The challenge facing you, children, is enormous indeed and therefore we simply cannot tolerate laziness. You must get up and roll up your sleeves, children. The youth leadership is doing its best, but my worry is that they were not aware of the magnitude of the problems facing the youth in this country. Nobody gave them the statistics that correctly reflect the problems facing the youth because, in the past, the focus was only on a small minority. Most of our youth are not qualified and most of them lack experience. Most of them are unemployed and live in abject poverty, and most of them have been infected by the HIV/Aids virus.

The Government is doing its best to minimise the problems facing the youth. It has even initiated programmes that target them. Our children are better educated than us because they are taught about sex-related issues. Therefore, they must ensure that they avoid unsafe sex. The Government is working hard to ensure that there is ongoing education in this regard. There is therefore no need to have young people who are still wearing the blanket of ignorance. The increasing number of youth who are being infected by this virus clearly indicates how careless they still are.

We therefore appeal to youth leaders and to those who are with us in Government, to understand that their work and our work is to ensure that the youth are better looked after than was the case in the past and to ensure that they look after themselves. Drug abuse is something that is troubling us greatly as parents and as Government. How is it possible, with such a high rate of unemployment, with the current drought, with these horrible deaths, that there is such a large number of youth who are addicted to drugs? Is it because the drug dealers are paying high salaries to our youth?

Our children must understand that we are looking forward with great expectations to those who have achieved their dreams, to those who have dreams and are following them and to those who are studying hard so that they may teach others, to government departments that have programmes that are aimed at training and encouraging the youth to build themselves up and to improve the economy.

South Africa is one of the few countries that is working hard to see to it that its youth are able to improve their lives and that they do not end up living in poverty like their parents. They must work hard in order to grasp the opportunities that are offered to them.

The problems facing the youth will not be resolved overnight. However, we must see to it that our children …

Work hard, oh children. We are with you. Mothers, let us rise up and teach our daughters that we are not meant to just bear children and cook for the men, as was the belief in the past. We are now the leaders. Walk tall, my daughters, and refuse to have sex without condoms.

There is the torch, oh youth. The government has put it on top of the wall. Grab it and run with it around Africa. Before you can do that, however, do it first at home, which is South Africa. I have a short poem that I have written for the youth. It goes like this:

Baswa ba Afrika ba lo ntlheng ya Borwa, iphomoleng dikgapa, le tsholetse difatlhego. Moporesidente Mbeki o a le laletsa, tlogelang go direlwa jaaka nama le le batho.

Bonang ‘tsala tsa lona ka dikhutlo tsa Afrika, aga se makatlakatla, namane tseeno tse ‘ntsho, di kitlane ka magetla, di tlhatloga ka bothata.

Tshwaraganang meropa, le itshupeng ka bonatla, kgetse ya tsie e kgonwa ke go tshwaraganelwa. Utlwang Moporesidente Mbeki o a le botsa, le diretseng Afrika, morwadia mono borwa, ka tiro, thuto, botshelo. [Applause.]]

Mr M S KHUMALO: Madam Deputy Speaker, hon members, as the 400th member of the National Assembly and the seventh member of the ACDP, I sincerely thank the almighty God, the review process of the election system and the growing ACDP for the opportunity to serve in this House.

The youth of 1976 was tired of Bantu education and wanted transformation and change in the areas of politics and education. The bravery they showed in taking the risk meant imprisonment, torture, even death to some. Others did find God in the midst of the 1976 situation and were given reassuring hope. That reassuring hope sustained them in their determination.

The youth of 1976 wanted a better society and they did not envisage the arrival of HIV/Aids and condoms. The youth of today are dying at an unparalleled rate because of HIV/Aids and Government’s response has been to increase spending on condoms and to plough large amounts of money into LoveLife programmes.

The infected and dying youth must be saved at all cost. On a positive note, we were delighted to see the national Minister of Health joining the youth recently in an abstinence walk organised by the Durban Christian Centre.

We as the ACDP propose that there should be an increase of internship programmes in all departments of Government, because of youth unemployment and students who have been blacklisted for unpaid university fees.

We propose an integrated workplan for national youth commissions. There should be a way of including youth in matters of ethics and public and community morality programmes. I thank you. [Time expired.]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: Order! Order, hon member! We appreciate the fact that you started working before you were sworn in.

Dr C P MULDER: Agb Mevrou die Adjunkspeaker, een van die lede van die Gautengse wetgewer … [Hon Deputy Speaker, one of the members of the Gauteng legislature …]

An MEC from the Gauteng legislature, last week, basically asked and appealed that all communities should participate in Youth Day celebrations tomorrow. She only had to listen to the speeches of the hon Deputy Minister Gigaba and Mr Kekana to know why all sectors of the community do not necessarily participate the way they would like them to.

Ek het baie lanklaas n toespraak in dié Huis gehoor waar daar soveel keer gesê word: blacks and whites, blacks and whites; whites and blacks''. [It has been a long time since I've heard a speech in this House in which there were so many references to `blacks and whites, blacks and whites; whites and blacks’’.]

What’s happened to the rainbow nation? Only blacks and whites, whites and blacks - all the time. [Interjections.]

The fact of the matter is that this Constitution makes provision for 11 official languages. Why? Because there are different communities in this country, and the different communities also have youth as part of their communities. It is time for the ANC to understand and realise that all the youth do not belong to the ANC. All the youth do not support the ANC. [Interjections.] All the youth are not members of the ANC Youth League; they belong to different communities.

As long as we continue to have 16 June as a celebration of the 1976 events, you will not succeed in taking Youth Day forward and making it something that everybody would like to celebrate.

In your own Freedom Charter it specifically says: South Africa belongs to all who live in it. But, when it comes to these kinds of events it is ANC, ANC, ANC. One-sided all along, no wonder it is not a success.

The hon Gigaba referred to all these things; the youth should be the storm troopers of the people’s contract. The youth is not an organ of state, the youth does not belong to the ANC, and they do not belong to the ANC Youth League. [Interjections.]

The fact of the matter is that the youth … One day, maybe one day, you will start to realise that the future is important, and not only the past. Look to the future, and then you will try to find a solution for South Africa’s problems. As long as you are only looking back, back, back you will not have a success in this country. [Interjections.] It’s time to turn to the future, change your ways and become wise. Thank you. [Time expired.]

Rre B E PULE: Motlotlegi Mmusakgotla, neo e kgolo e re e filweng re le setshaba, ke bana ba rona. Ka jalo re lebagane le kgwetlho e tona ya go ba godisa go nna batsadi le babusi ba ka moso. Re tshwanetse go lemosa bana ba rona gore re ne re tlhagafetse fa re letla re le setshaba gore mo ngwageng, batshwaelwe letsatsi le le bidiwang ka bone go supa botlhokwa jwa bone. Motlotlegi Mmusakgotla, o ka re baswa ba rona ba ka lemoga gore letsatsi le la 16 Seetebosigo 1976, ke tiragalo e e dirilweng ke bagolwane ba bona, e seng bone. Bagolwane ba bone ba ne ba lebagane le kgwetlho ya nako eo ya seranku-di-kae go nna seruta-dithuto tse dingwe. Baswa ba rona ba tshwanetse go lebagana le dikgwetlho tsa gompieno, e leng bolwetse jo jwa HIV/Aids jo bo ba gailang. Re tshwanetse go lemosa baswa ba rona gore ba dirise ditshwanelo tsa bone ka boikarabelo jo bo tseneletseng, e seng jalo bolwetse jo bo tla ba fofora mme re tlhoke setshaba sa ka moso. Motlhalefi mongwe o kile a re, nte ke mo nopole o ne a bua ka Seesimane: It is easy to dodge your responsibilities, but not easy to dodge the consequences of dodging those responsibilities.

A baswa ba rona ba lemoge seno. Kgwetlho e ngwe ke gore a ba ipope, ba amogele dipolase tse ba ka ruang dikgomo mo go tsona kgotsa sengwe le sengwe se se ruiwang le go lema mo go tsona go fokotsa botlhokatiro. Mafatshe a mantsi a ija. Jalo baswa ba rutwe go somarela lefatshe le go ledirisa sentle ka gore ke la bone. Baswa ba tshwanetse go itshupa go sa le gale gore ke bone babusi ba isagwe. Setswana sa re tlogatloga e tloga gale modisa wa kgomo o tswa nayo kgotsa ntswanyana e bonwa mabotobotong. [Nako e fedile.] (Translation of Tswana speech follows.)

[Mr B E PULE: Hon Speaker, the greatest gift we are given as a nation is our children. Therefore, we are faced with a great challenge of bringing them up to be future adults and leaders. We were quite right as a nation that a day of the year was chosen in their honour to show their importance. Hon Speaker, I would like our youth to realise that on June 16 1976 history was made by their elders, but not by them. Their elders were faced by the challenge of that time of instructional language in school subjects. Our youth have to face the challenge of today, which is the HIV/Aids pandemic. We have to make our youth aware of how careful to use their rights responsibly, otherwise they will all be wiped out, so that eventually we do not have future nation. A scientist once said, and I quote:

It is quite easy to dodge your responsibilities, but not easy to dodge the consequences of dodging those responsibilities.

Let our children realise this. Another challenge is that they need to build themselves, and to accept farms where they can practice stock farming or anything to farm with in order to reduce unemployment. A lot of land is not used. Therefore our youth need to preserve the land and use it properly because it is theirs. The youth have to prove themselves now as they are our future leaders, because time and tide wait for no man.

[Time expired.]]

HON MEMBERS: Malibongwe! Malibongwe! [Praise! Praise!] [Interjections.]

Ms N R MOKOTO: Madam Deputy Speaker, hon members, and the members in the public gallery, I feel very privileged and honoured to address this House on the eve of the most historic day in the lives of young people across the length and breadth of our country.

For many young people this opportunity will have remained as nothing but a dream that will never be realised. Indeed, we have to commend the ANC-led Government for having prioritised placing their hopes on the young people of this country.

Please allow me to take this House on a brief stroll down memory lane. Tomorrow, twenty-eight years ago in South Africa our youth made a clarion call to all South Africans to take a firm stand and commitment to fight against the oppressive apartheid regime.

Young and vulnerable as they were, they decided that enough was enough with the fascist nationalist regime. They swapped all they had - their lives and a bright future - for a not-so-desirable mission to liberate their own country from the colonialists. Many of those heroes and heroines will continue to paint a colourful history in our liberation struggle.

In the same spirit of 1976, and the subsequent years, we continued our call to all young South Africans to show high levels of patriotism and national unity by being active in the reconstruction and development of our country and our continent.

We must remember that the crucial role played by our youth in the struggle for freedom and democracy shall never go unnoticed. I want to challenge the historians that this national youth effort also deserves to be objectively recorded in the history books of our country.

It is totally unacceptable and unreasonable that today the critical element of our national struggle continues to be relegated to insignificant references and by-the-way statements. Young people in South Africa are close to 11 million, and this makes up more than a quarter of the total population of this country. However, they remain the most marginalised sector within our economy. They have continued to serve as secondary players and consumers of the produce of our economy instead of being policy and decision-makers in our economy. Of course, young people do have the capacity to lead when given an opportunity.

On many occasions, because of the circumstances they face, young people have been forced to take mature decisions at early stages of their lives. Many of them had to abandon schooling to fend for their families, started engaging in prostitution in an attempt to escape poverty, and entered the unskilled labour market before their time.

This is the legacy that will continue to haunt them for many years to come, because the concept of youth empowerment and development has been restricted to aspects of arts and culture, sports, recreation and education, if not located within the broader programme of national development.

It has been indicated that the situation of the youth in this country is a depiction of the abnormal society they are growing up in. Historically, our economy was designed to deliberately marginalise youth from being active role-players and beneficiaries to the outputs and inputs of our mainstream economy, except for providing a pool of cheap and unskilled labour.

High levels of unemployment in this country are as a result of the problems of the first and second economies, which still exist in South Africa. The RDP recognises the status of the youth in this economy and further highlights that there is a need to ameliorate this situation. On the other side, the RDP states that the programmes on youth should not be seen as job

• creation measures, but as youth development and capacity - building.

Dr S E M PHEKO: Madam Deputy Speaker, the PAC advocates free education for our youth. Education is a weapon that no one should be without in the modern world. It is the key to success. On this 20th anniversary of the Soweto uprising, Youth Day, let us arm our youth with knowledge, so that they can become skilled to make the riches of our country work for us. Our youth is determined to seize the opportunity of democracy but their main weapon for success in their endeavours is education.

I will base my presentation on what some of the youth are saying in 2004. This must be taken seriously, because two days ago an SABC programme survey showed that 59% of the youth said that they have not benefited from the ten years of democracy. Maxwell Nqeno in Gauteng said that, in schools around Soweto, learners are constantly locked out of schools for not having a school uniform. The uniform issue affects all school children, especially those who live in mikhukhus, or informal settlements. They are forced to move house every year as a result of, amongst other things, forced removals and fires. This means changing schools and changing uniforms. Xolane Tsalong said that, in a country where half of the population lives under the poverty line, it is anyone’s guess where poor and working class people will find the money for school fees, uniforms etc. Is this not the sad fact that quality education is only for the rich?

David Lukhelo of the Vaal said that some young people drop out of school and register with employment agencies that promise them the chance of travelling around the world, but that they only end up being employed as drug couriers and pushers. [Time expired.]

Ms S RAJBALLY: Malibongwe! Igama la Makhosikazi! Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker and colleagues. Today, when a little South African is born - black, white, Indian or coloured - he or she is born free and with rights protected and upheld by the national Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. This is a very important document. It governs as the supreme law of South Africa and contains the Bill of Rights that constitutes laws of human rights, making us a democracy that guarantees equality and freedom. Today our children are saved from the horrors of apartheid, but some stories still highlight the hardships endured by the people. Our ten years of democracy has erased these horrors from society and our able Government, elected by the people for the people, has worked hard to correct the injustices of the past, alleviate poverty and promote social development. These efforts rotate around securing a better future for all, including our youth.

The Minority Front supports the development and intense advancement of our youth in terms of educating and equipping them with the right they have earned from birth. It is sad to note that so many of our prisons are filled with juvenile delinquents, which is a direct depiction of how many of our young people are involved in crime. The MF calls for the inclusion of our youth in programmes that would help them deviate from criminal activities. As easily as they are enticed into crime, we need to entice them into celebrating life, their freedom and potential.

HIV/Aids education and prevention is another great matter of concern and it is our responsibility to ensure that our youth is on the right track and that we mould them into the future leaders of this democracy. An appreciation of our freedom and rights needs to be instilled in our youth to ensure that South Africa never returns to apartheid. The MF has faith in our youth, because they are the future leaders of South Africa. [Time expired.]

Mr P J NEFOLOVHODWE: Madam Deputy Speaker, as we celebrate the victory of the youth of 1976, I just want to pause and pay tribute to a gallant fighter, Dr Gomolemo Mokae, who is at present in hospital. He has played his role as a doctor and also as an artist in the struggle for our people. I want him to know that we are thinking of him here in Parliament and that we wish him a speedy recovery. The importance of this occasion is that not only do we remember those who sacrificed their lives for all of us, but we also pay tribute to their selfless dedication to the noble goal of liberating the people of our land.

As we celebrate our victory over evil and an oppressive system, we must also take note of those amongst us who, if given a chance, would like us to return to the past. All of us who love freedom have no choice but to continue with our revolutionary task by making sure that what the youth of 1976 started is completed. Thus, in our determination to transform our society, we should not leave the youth behind. At the same time we should note that no person who is a by-product of a colonial culture, whose moral conduct is moulded in a way of life that is foreign to Africa, and who through selfish aspirations and inhuman behaviour lives by all values alien to Africa, should be allowed to pursue these goals on a continent that wants to get rid of colonial and other forms of oppression. [Applause.] Azapo recognises that the youth is an important component of our society and we are of the view that the youth should be nurtured into future upholders of the values and norms of our society. [Time expired.]

Mna M M SWATHE: Mosepidiši wa Modiro le maloko a Palamente, re leboga pušo ka matsapa ao e a dirilego go hlabolla baswa ba naga ya Afrika Borwa, efela re re baswa ga ba ese ba kgotsofala gore ba ka iketla le go ipshina ka tokologo le dienywa tša yona.

Tebelelo ya baswa ba magae goba pono ya baswa ba magae: Baswa ba dinaga magaeng ke bona bao ba bonago masetla pelo ka gobane tokologo le hlabologo le mananego a kimollo ba di kwa di bolelwa fela. Ditaba tše go bona ke toro gobane ba lla ka tše di latelago: Ba lla ka hlokego ya mesomo yeo e dirago gore baswa bao ba tswago dikolong batsenego dikolo ka ditšhelete tse dintšhi ba se ke ba hwetša mesomo e tloga e tshwenya mo setšhabeng sa ga bo rena. Le go baswa bao e lego gore ga se ba tsene dikolo le bona taba ya mešomo e tloga e ba tshwenya kudukudu. Gomme ba ikhomotsa ka dinwatagi, thobalano le diokobatsi.

Bodidi le bjona ke thlobaelo e kgolo setšhabeng sa ga bo rena. Tlala e ntshitše noga moleteng. Baswa ba ithuša ka go dira dilo tš eo e lego gore di tšwile tseleng e le ge ba rata gore ba ithuse.

Go hlokega ga hlabologo. Baswa ba ya ditoropong gomme ba hloma mešašana. Lebaka la gore ba hlome mesasana ke kalebaka la gore moo ba dulago gona hlabologo ga ba e bone.

Ditirelo tša Motheo. Baswa ba kwa bohloko ge ba sa hwetše ditirelo tša motheo tšeo e lego gore ba tshepisitswe tšona gore ba tla di hwetša gomme se se ba kweša bohloko kudu gobane ba be ba nale kgopolo ya gore demokrasi e tla ba tlišetša tse di botse.

Dinamelwa. Baswa ba sa šomiša maoto go sepela maeto a matelele go ya ditoropong gomme ba sa šomiša dipokolo le dikgomo. Gomme se se bontšha gabotse gore baswa ba sa šaletše ke nako e telele ya gore ba ka fihlelela tokologo ya bona. E sale ka pela go gopola gore baswa ba tla thabela tokologo le dienywa tša yona. Tokologo ntle le dijo, thekgo le kamogelo ya baswa ka moka ke lefela. Rena re thekga matsapa ao a fago baswa thuto, boitshepo le tekatekano. Re re bommasepala a bafiwe maatla a go kgetha baswa bao ba tlo go go sepetša thlabologo ya mananeo a baswa go ya ka diprofense go tšwa mekgahlong ka go fapafapana, gobane seo se tla dira gore baswa ba kgotsofale ba thabele demokrasi gomme lebona ba e kwe ba le karolo ye ngwe ya setšhaba.

Re rata go bontšha ga botse fa gore, bjalo ka ge re le baswa re amogela demokrasi ebile re kgopela gore seo pušo e thomilego go se dira a e se tswetse pele e lebeletše baswa, e ba fa thuto, e ba fa thlatlo, gobane kua magaeng moo ke tswago gona HIV/Aids e gare e fetša batho. Mengwaga e lesome yeo e fetilego baswa ba bantshi ba fetile le mengwaga e lesome, ga ba sa phela moo ke tšwago gona kua gaMokopane le dinaga mabapi. Taba ye ya HIV/Aids e swanelwa ke gore re e emele ka maoto re le setšhaba sa Afrika Borwa re e lebelele, re rute baswa ba ga borena gore ba kgone go ithlokomela. Seo se tloga se bontšha gabotse gore re leeto la rena le sa le letelele. Re sa tlile go sepela tsela ye telele ya demokrasi gore re kgone go thaba. Ge ele ka se sebaka ga senke re thabe ka moka. Ke kotara fela ya batho yeo e thabilego. Ke a leboga. [Nako e fedile.] (Translation of Sepedi speech follows.)

[Mr M M SWATHE: Madam Deputy Speaker, and hon members of Parliament, we would like to thank the Government for its efforts in uplifting the youth of South Africa, although the youth are still not convinced that they will enjoy freedom and its fruits.

Regarding the expectations of the rural youth, or the vision of the rural youth, the rural youth are the ones who are most disadvantaged because for them freedom, prosperity and development programmes are things that they just hear about. These are mere dreams as far as they are concerned, because they are concerned about the following. They are concerned about unemployment which makes it difficult for young school leavers, who are educated at great cost, to join the job market. This is a great concern for our nation. This is also a very serious concern for the uneducated youth. They then resort to alcohol, sex and drugs.

Poverty is another challenge facing our nation. It is difficult to sit back and relax while poverty is rampant. The youth then get involved in criminal activities in an attempt to improve their lives.

As for lack of development, the youth migrate to the urban areas where they live in shacks. This is because they do not see any development in their own areas.

Regarding basic services, the youth become disillusioned when they do not access the services that were promised to them because they had hoped that democracy would make a great difference in their lives.

As far as transport is concerned, the youth still have to walk long distances to town, sometimes using donkeys and oxen. This is a clear indication that the youth still have a long way to go to achieve their freedom. It is too early to expect the youth to be excited by freedom and its fruits. Freedom without food, aid and the equal treatment of all young people, is nothing. We support every effort that gives the youth education, self-confidence and equality. We propose that municipalities be authorised to nominate young people from different political parties to drive provincial youth programmes, because that will satisfy the youth and make them more enthusiastic about democracy and let them feel that they are part of the nation.

We would like to point out unequivocally that, as the youth, we welcome democracy and we appeal to the Government to continue with what it has already started in connection with the youth, educating them and training them, because in the rural areas, where I come from, HIV/Aids is decimating the nation. During the past ten years of democracy, many young people have died at Mokopane, my village, as well as in the neighbouring villages. We as the South African nation, must take the HIV/Aids pandemic very seriously, monitoring it and teaching our youth how to avoid it. This clearly indicates that we still have a long way to go before we really enjoy our democracy. Currently, not everybody is happy. Only a quarter of the people are happy. Thank you. [Time expired.]]

Ms T V TOBIAS: Thank you very much, hon Deputy Speaker. Hon member, you really sound rural, you do not know what is happening around you. [Laughter.] [Interjections.] Ms Johnson, I am 31 years of age, and constitutionally a youth is a person between the ages of 14 and 35. Therefore, if you are 31 you are still a young person. And besides, Comrade Madiba is young at heart, hence he remains the honorary member of the ANC Youth League.

Hon Deputy Speaker, all opposition members did not make comprehensive proposals on what we must do to develop and empower the youth, and there is no alternative to the ANC.

This debate takes place on the occasion of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the glorious ANC Youth League, with the actual celebrations taking place later this year. It also takes place after the victory of the ANC in the third democratic elections and subsequently the establishment of the third Parliament - where we are now. It also takes place 28 years since the 16 June 1976 student uprisings and the 49th celebration of the Freedom Charter.

This debate, again, takes place after South Africa emerged victorious in the 2010 Bid, and this performance indicator is a positive element for South African youth, as there will be job creation and poverty alleviation. The struggle for national liberation, under the leadership of the ANC, took place over many decades in South Africa. Young people, led by the ANC, started making their contribution as far back as 1949. The contribution they made with the June 16 Soweto uprising is but one important contribution.

The generation of Comrade Rolihlahla Mandela, Oliver Reginald Thambo and Bertha Gxowa were the first youth detachment to radically and vigorously engage the ANC to change its programme of action. These youth had a common goal - that of defeating the apartheid system. It is the apartheid system that imposed the Bantu education system on the black masses of South Africa and, again, it was legislated in terms of the Bantu education system that young people receive educational instruction in Afrikaans, and this led to the loss of life of Comrade Hector Petersen and others.

The 1994 general elections ushered in a period of freedom, peace and stability, and this led to the introduction of institutional mechanisms to deal with youth power in society.

The first democratic Government put in place chapter 8 and chapter 9 institutions to address inequalities in this country and among those institutions is the National Youth Commission, which was established to monitor Government’s implementation of youth development programmes. The current generation and detachment of youth is advanced and sharp compared to the 1976 generation, and our Government is putting them high on the agenda. These youth have access to basic services provided by Government, and this is also addressed in the National Youth Service Programme.

The SA Youth Council and National Youth Commission have not failed, Mr Diko. What you are saying about the youth of South Africa is incorrect. The Markinor survey has verified that young people are positive about the ANC- led Government, hence they went out to vote. [Applause.]

The National Youth Commission has been established in all provinces and has successfully implemented the above mandate, and continues to play and oversight role with regard to the implementation of Government programmes. The youth commission has successfully devised the youth policy framework, which is a referral point for Government to implement youth development. The youth commission has also forged relations with the Umsobomvu Fund to ensure that the youth will participate in the economic development of the country.

Please allow me to mention the following achievements of the youth commission. The youth commission has registered 7 000 young people in the National Youth Service Programme; it has also compiled a register of graduates to link them with the Umsobomvu Fund so that they can start their own businesses; the youth commission has also established a concept that helps young people to obtain information regarding their needs; it has adopted a national youth economic strategy to develop youth entrepreneurial skills; at the same time it has implemented the distribution of the Presidential Job Summit by establishing the Umsobomvu Fund - a fund that has been given R1 billion to deal with these matters; and it has also registered 64 000 learnerships with a target of 70 000 by 2004. This is a great achievement.

The youth have obtained success, in addition to the achievements they obtained in the first decade of freedom, including the above-mentioned.

The youth commission also has a rural strategy to address the needs of rural women. Hence I said that the hon member is really rural; he does not understand. We further call on the youth of South Africa to learn so that they may be able to provide leadership to the world in all fields of study and human endeavour.

As we said, we are celebrating a decade of freedom. The youth of this country will be celebrating in Rustenburg under the theme of ``Youth Celebrating a Decade of Freedom - Seizing the Opportunities of Democracy’’. The youth commission is on track and continues to play an oversight role by ensuring that the Government puts issues of youth development high on the agenda, and it will continue to forge relations with nongovernmental organisations.

It is also during this month that Government will honour young heroes. And as we heard yesterday, different orders have been conferred upon the people who participated in bringing about change on the African continent, and this announcement is really important to us.

But, we also face challenges in making sure that we continue to put youth development high on the agenda. The major challenge facing our people is that of coming of age with regard to economic participation. Hence we said that the second economy would be able to address the challenges as the first economy has created opportunities that they need to grab.

The second challenge is that of accessing skills through learnerships and programmes created by Government. The third challenge is that of ensuring that they acquire the relevant skills to also participate in the IT sector and financial services as well.

The Government has a programme for dealing with diseases such as diabetes, cancer, TB and HIV/Aids, and these opportunities should be utilised by young people. It is not the first time that we hear about HIV/Aids. As the President mentioned in our election manifesto, the Public Works Programme needs to have a youth bias to ensure that there is an overhauling job - creation programme for young people.

We should also acknowledge those departments that have put an extra effort in making sure that there are youth development programmes, and those are the Departments of Labour, Social Development and Home Affairs respectively.

Finally, we should acknowledge that these historic celebrations coincide with the birthday celebrations of our President, Comrade Thabo Mbeki, and of the late Comrade Che Guevara, a Cuban intellectual and revolutionary who used to cut sugar cane on his porch on the tropical island. This is a cause for celebration.

Finally, the ANC agenda is making sure that South African people live in conditions of nonracialism, nonsexism and a democratic South Africa. I thank you. [Applause.]

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: That concludes the business of this sitting. Members are reminded that Extended Public Committees will start in 10 minutes’ time.

Debate concluded.

The House adjourned at 10:48.