Oh all right, that is fine. [Laughter.]
Chairperson, I am particularly pleased to be here this afternoon because this is my first appearance in the NCOP, and I hope it will not be my last. The quicker the Chairperson invites me the better, because nobody knows whether one will be around or not.
What we are going to be discussing this afternoon is an amendment to the National Youth Commission Act. I commend this Bill to the House, in the interests of the smooth functioning of arrangements and attainment of sustainable youth development in South Africa. It is a critical area of responsibility for the democratic Government of this country. Workable arrangements we have sought and achieved through consensus rather than conflict will be an investment in the future wellbeing of the nation.
The essence of the intention of this measure is contained in clause 7A, in which it is said that there shall be a sound working relationship between the commission and the various provinces and their structures dealing with youth development. This is what is sought, and the legislative step recommended today follows a process of serious consultation to this end.
There is a need to have uniformity of approach to the development of our young men and women in South Africa. But care must be taken not to be too prescriptive, because provincial initiative and creativity should not be smothered but allowed to flourish. Our minds must be tidy, yes, but not overly so. It is a fact that some provinces have set up youth commissions, others have not. Some have set up structures such as subdirectorates and/or have appointed an MEC for Youth Affairs. Provinces might well have their own particular ways of handling matters, as long as these fit in with the broad national framework and intentions to enhance youth development.
The practical step proposed in this measure is to do away with the system of part-time youth commissioners, both those nominated by premiers for presidential appointment and those who were appointed on the basis of the nomination process in Parliament. It has been found that this arrangement was not particularly successful. For instance, there has been a measure of distance between the provincial and national efforts, and in some cases provincial representatives on the National Youth Commission have not enjoyed the support of provincial structures, and, indeed, in some cases were not even attached to statutory youth development structures in their provinces.
There is little value in having commissioners who are excluded from essential activity at one or other level. As a study of the amendments shows, what will be brought about is a streamlining in the number of national youth commissioners, which will lead to financial savings which can be redirected to programme work instead. This means that money which is saved will be available for concrete programmes, rather than being spent on the proliferation of national and provincial full-time and part-time commissioners. It is worth commending this approach, which seeks economy and reprioritisation. It is a matter of putting first things first.
It is also specifically laid down in the Bill that the relationship between national and provincial structures should be sound. To achieve this, for instance, minutes of the National Youth Commission must be submitted to provincial commissions and to MECs for youth affairs. I would appeal to those engaged in the new streamlined operation to seek a real spirit of accommodation and not just a formal stance of co-operation and information exchange.
I might mention that I would be most happy should Parliament continue to play an active part in this whole matter of seeking the best possible structures for youth development in the interest of smooth relationships. To this end, I would be happy to receive ideas and proposals from all parties in Parliament, and I firmly commit myself to giving serious consideration to these. If this means that we shall have to amend national legislation again, then let us do so. This is not a closed matter and I would like to appeal to those parties that may have indicated that they are unhappy with the amendment, to rethink their position in the light of my remarks, and to vote for the amendment proposed today. This is not a party- political issue, but a cross-cutting one which should continue to engage all of us in issues of fundamental importance to our nation's future. We want to have Parliament and the provinces behind us in this matter, for a national consensus on matters relating to the youth is the way of dealing with it. Let us be among the nations who really love the young, because, as someone once wrote:
Those who love the young best, stay young the longest.
[Applause.]