Friday, 14 June 2019
President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead the country in observing National Youth Day on Sunday.
The President will deliver the keynote address at the event at Peter Mokaba Cricket Club in Polokwane, Limpopo.
He will start the day by engaging with the youth in a Youth Development and Career Expo at a venue within the Polokwane Cricket Club, the Presidency said on Friday.
The month of June is Youth Month, which pays tribute to the school pupils who lost their lives during the 16 June 1976 uprising, in Soweto.
The day, which will be observed under the theme, ‘25 Years of Democracy: A celebration of youth activism’, will be used to empower and facilitate conversations with the youth on the achievements and progress made in youth development.
The theme also seeks to encourage young people to join the ranks of active and responsible citizens by participating in democratic processes, the Presidency said.
The youth have been applauded for the commitment, passion and enthusiasm they have demonstrated through activism.
Progress made by the youth of today includes the scrapping of the need for work experience for entry-level jobs in an effort to alleviate the crisis of unemployment in the country.
The youth have also been at the forefront of addressing issues such as access to higher education and zero ratings of sanitary towels, amongst others.
Government has also increased the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) budget from R70 million in 1994 to nearly R15 billion in 2018.
This year, over R900 million has been set aside to settle the debts of continuing NSFAS-funded students.
Government has encouraged young people to continue in the spirit of Thuma Mina and play their part to take forward the issue of youth development and make South Africa a progressive place to live in.