by Gugu Mgwebi

Inspired by National Youth Month in June, Afesis-corplan dedicated its second quarterly seminar of 2008 to a debate over the role of the youth in development.

While various representatives from civil society, student organisations and movements and municipal officials were present, the seminar was dominated by the youth. Umsobomvu Youth Fund, Buffalo City Municipality, the University of Fort Hare SRC and the Eastern Cape Youth Development Board all sent representatives to speak on behalf of government-initiated, youth-involved development programmes.

The National Youth and Infrastructure Summit – involving the National Youth Commission in partnership with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and numerous organisations within the public and private sectors – was highlighted as a major contribution towards youth development.

These stakeholders aim to encourage and engage young people to be active participants at local government level in order to speed up service delivery within their localities. The summit aims to strengthen the understanding of the role of the youth in the decision-making processes and to share information on how the youth could benefit from such provisions.

Not surprisingly, a considerable amount of emphasis was laid on the forthcoming national elections, particularly urging young South Africans to become more active in entrenching our democracy through voting. UYF speaker Lubabalo Mawkazawa raised the issues of skills shortages and high unemployment rates among the youth. He encouraged the youth to visit the organisation and apply to get involved in ventures such as the Youth Entrepreneurship Programme that focuses mainly on capacity building and research, information communication technology, finance and communications.

The youth could also get involved in the enhancement of employability as well as access to platforms to acquire skills and support for self-employment.

Panelists raised concerns of remote areas – the neediest of all – being alienated and deprived of the platforms offered by the UYF. They argued for more UYF offices to be set up in these remote areas across the Eastern Cape.

The UYF noted the panel’s suggestions, adding that planning was already in place to hasten services to these areas.

Buffalo City Municipality speaker Shaun Petzer spoke on the importance of youth development initiatives, noting that many young people lacked understanding of government structures and functions. BCM offers programmes on youth economic development strategies, and information on a comprehensive youth economic initiative, skills development and access to resources.

Partnerships involving youth organisations also help to bridge the gap between the community, youth and BCM. The youth are urged to participate in the IDP Forum Youth Representatives, as well as a Youth and HIV/Aids programme involving improved new health services. Overall BCM youth development initiatives comprehensively strive for a fully empowered and united youth involved in socio-economic development, provision of sustainable youth-friendly services in partnership with relevant stakeholders as well as skills development.

The Eastern Cape Youth Development Board (ECYDB) decried the failure of government to fully involve the youth in development programmes. The ECYDB is trying to enhance youth development by fostering youth co-operations between youth structures in municipalities, developing and strengthening opportunities for youth to be informed about their rights and responsibilities and establishing ward youth forums and youth desks within the municipalities (Mayor’s Office) with specific, clear guidelines and operations. Through these steps there is hope for a more specified role for youth in development.

A University of Fort Hare SRC representative explained the role of the various societies that cater for students on campus, such as the UFH debating society which regularly holds debates relevant to the youth and seeks to influence their colleagues in a positive way.

Other societies such as the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) focus on student responses to entrepreneurial and economic queries. There is also the Female Empowerment Society and the Creative Minds Society which is in alliance with Rhodes and Nelson Mandela Metro University.  All these are meant to contribute to youth development in a collaborative manner.

In order to promote greater involvement of the youth in development, the following recommendations were made by the seminar participants:

• More enhanced youth participation and recognition in the IDP processes;
• More commitment from the various municipalities and provincial departments (SALGA) to involve the youth in its decision-making processes;
• Better representation of youth in local government participatory structures;
• Mainstreaming youth development at local government level;
• Provision of accessible and relevant strategies for the youth to be better able to fight poverty and measure the results of such strategies through reflecting relevance in today’s society.

First published in The Transformer Vol. 14 No. 4 August - September 2008