hon Lees, I know it's your chance right now, please give me a short moment in the spirit of correcting our decisions as we go along. Earlier on the motion that permission be given to the Portfolio Committee on Labour to proceed with legislative proposals, we noted the objective of the EEF and I should have proceeded to say that it is therefore agreed too. Is that okay? The table staff correctly pointed it out. Thank you very much, this is now set. Mnu awukhulume nathi [Speak to us hon member].
Ladies and gentlemen, and hon members, the South African economy is in crisis like we have not seen since the demise of Apartheid. There are 9,7 million South Africans who are unemployed in South Africa today, the majority of those 6,1 million South Africans are under the age of 34 years.
Unless there is a massive change in the way that the economy is managed, these 6,1 million young South Africans will never in their lifetimes find permanent employment and will remain a responsibility of the State instead of being a contributor to the economy and thus to