Honourable Ministers and Deputy Ministers

Members of the Provincial Executive

Executive Mayor of Central Karoo District Municipality, Cllr Edward Njadu

Executive Mayor of the Beaufort West Local Municipality, Cllr Truman Prince

Leadership of Youth Organizations

Esteemed Ladies and Gentlemen

In 1985, a youth leader and promising young boxer, from Beaufort West, Mandlenkosi ‘Tshaka’ Kratshi, was shot and killed in a police raid on the 22nd of January. 

This happened 31 years ago and it is very emotional to think back to the youth who had lost their lives to ensure our freedom.

This year being the 40th anniversary of the 1976 riots, we must also recognize the contributions of countless youth that have laid down their lives for the realization of a free and democratic South Africa we now enjoy.

As we open this facility today, I want to dedicate it to these countless heroes and heroines who committed great effort and sacrifice to ensure that we live in a better country. 

The example they have set for us will be difficult to follow but we should do our best to face and overcome our present challenges.

Compatriots

The handing over of the Beaufort West Youth Hub to the Central Karoo Community today is intended to provide a facility to the youth, where they can empower themselves.

The Beaufort West Youth Hub was officially launched on Mandela day on 18 July 2012 by the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform, Mr Gugile Nkwinti. 

This followed extensive consultation with local communities, youth in the area, the district and local municipality and the Rural Infrastructure Development Branch of the Department, to develop the concept design.

The construction of the Youth Hub commenced in October 2013 and was completed in April 2015.

The Hub has a mix of facilities that provide for holistic development of young people and for the community large.

The fully equipped Skills Centre that is being operated by South Cape College will provide training in business administration, end user computing and early childhood development to 200 NARYSEC participants per year.

The ICT centre will also help all members of the local community access to free high speed internet and information technologies and to be integrated to the larger global information community.

The Amphitheatre and refurbished Community Hall are also intended for daily use by the larger community. 

Fellow South Africans,

To counter the scourge of drug abuse, alcholism and gangsterism that are ravaging our poor communities, we need to offer youth in these communities the same positive lifestyle alternatives that youth in the wealthy suburbs are afforded.

The world class sport and recreation facilities available in this youth hub will provide young people from poor communities with opportunities to participate on a better footing and help transform sport in our country.

The Swimming Pool is half Olympic size and is expected to host swimming clubs and competitive galas for the region.

Hopefully the next generation of Chad Le Clos and Penny Heyns will come from this area.

The Gymnasium was fitted out with equipment generously donated by the Virgin Active Group.

This is the same quality of equipment that can be found in the best private gyms in the country.

This gym shows what can be done when government and the private sector form partnerships to develop poor communities.

The combi courts can be used for multiple sports codes such as soccer, netball and hockey.

Solar lighting around this court will allow young people the chance to play sport deep into the evening without having to burden the community or the municipality with high electricity bills.

These principles of sustainability are applied throughout the Youth Hub.

From the water harvesting tanks to natural lighting in the gym, this facility proves that with prudent design, environmental and economical sustainability can be achieved. 

I trust that the community is aware of other investments in youth that government is undertaking.

There is an innovative programme called the NARYSEC (National Rural Youth Service Corps which is the flagship of the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform.

This is a long-term programme where only rural youth is targeted, recruited and contracted for a period of two years.

Essentially, the NARYSEC programme is a skills development programme.

Its main objective is to develop the skills of youth from rural areas.

Youth between the ages of 18 and 25 years old from rural wards are recruited and then enrolled for training in various skills that will equip them, both with theoretical and practical knowledge, to create employment for themselves and other people in their communities.

Participants who have completed the training will be able to help develop their own communities. 

It is a critical component of NARYSEC that the youth must go back home to apply their skills in the rural villages they originate from. 

The NARYSEC youth must also share their skills with their families and friends.

This, at the end of the day will lead to the future development of our country by these graduates and more specifically the rural areas.

The youth was also involved in the construction of the youth hub and the programme is also establishing a co-operative for the youth in construction in order to do the maintenance of the youth hub.

It is also busy setting up co-operatives to handle and provide security services to the youth hub and ten learners in cleaning services in order to provide these services to the hub.

Dear community members

This Youth Hub is a Pilot project and the first of its kind, and with this one as our first experience; we will roll it out to other provinces as well.

Ladies and gentlemen

As government the challenges facing the youth, such as unemployment, are our gravest concerns.

While the conditions for the youth are improving in the country, the Social Profile of Youth report suggests that black youth in particular are still faced with many challenges with regard to absorption into the labour market, compared to their white counterparts.

But as government we are implementing various strategies to equip the youth, and to work with the private sector by improving incentives for the employment of the youth. 

It is precisely for this reason that we have packaged programmes that focus on rural development in general and youth development in particular, because this is a matter very close to our hearts.

This is very important in ensuring that the youth in each and every area get opportunities which can improve their lives, and all these are efforts which ensure that together we move this country forward.

We congratulate the community and the youth in particular for this wonderful facility.

Look after it well so that the youth hub can serve generations to come.

I thank you!