Chairperson, hon Ministers and Deputy Ministers, hon Members of Parliament, I must start by saying that I am highly honoured to be one of the youth of the ANC. In fact, I am blessed to be a young person who belongs to the ruling party today. This means that my ideological orientation classifies the economical understanding and shapes the ideology and vision of the ANC. So, having said that, I am very happy to be a member of the ANC.
When we speak about the month of June, we think about militancy, vibrancy and young people who have energy. From where I am sitting, we are thinking about the likes of Ephraim Nkoe, Barney Molokoane, Pixley ka Seme, Tsietsi Mashinini and Hector Pieterson, who was shot at a young age during those times.
For too long our country contained and represented much that is ugly and repulsive in human society. It was a place where to be born black was to inherit a lifelong curse. It was a place where to be born white was to carry a permanent burden of fear and hidden rage.
Today's violence is rooted in history. It is the ghost of apartheid that has come back to haunt its creators. One must look at that legacy to understand this upsurge in violence. It has bred social deprivation, fostering frustration and the potential for violence. This does not always take the form of political violence, but permeates society through an increase in the rate of crime, murder, rape, wife battery and child abuse.
The ANC condemns in the harshest possible terms the recent spates of violence in Port Elizabeth, Diepsloot in Sedibeng, and Orange Farm. These incidents have seen, among other events, the looting of shops, the displacement of foreign nationals and other incidents of public violence in these communities.
The incidents of xenophobic violence in 2008 are a lesson all of us should constantly draw from to foster unity and cohesion among our communities. Regardless of what the cause of these violent protests may be, the ANC condemns any attacks on members of society, irrespective of nationality. [Applause.]
We further expect the SA Police Service to act decisively and with sternness against people who are involved in acts of vandalism, intimidation or any other type of public disorder. All stakeholders in society must be part of the solution and must exercise restraint when dealing with these matters to ensure that none among us exacerbates the situation by escalating tensions in an already sensitive situation.
I would like to draw the attention of the House and the audience to the family of Tshetlo, who lived at house number 151 in Chiawelo. Here a grandson killed his 92-year-old grandmother for grant money. He took the R2 400 and locked the grandmother in the house because he was addicted to nyaope. Having said that, it is important also to acknowledge that the police reacted swiftly and ensured that he was put behind bars. It is important for us to tell the police that we acknowledge their swift action. [Applause.]
We must follow in the footsteps of previous generations of revolutionary youth. Young people in the democratic movement should be at the forefront of defending the gains of the revolution and accelerating development. As former President uTata Rholihlahla Mandela put it in May 1994:
The youth of our country are the valued possession of the nation. Without them there can be no future. Their needs are immense and urgent. They are at the centre of our reconstruction and development plan.
There is a great need to liberate the minds of young people of all races. An entry point would be an approach that is not necessarily academic or scientific but rather an immediate response to the socioeconomic and political realities faced by our young people. Though a generalisation, this contribution is meant to further inspire constructive debate towards a secure future for our country, Africa and the world. One's youth is not a time in life but a state of mind. The youth is better positioned than any other social stratum to be entrusted with and be prepared for the responsibilities of the future.
Former ANC president uTata Oliver Reginald Tambo said:
Any nation that does not value its youth does not have a future. It is the nation that makes a good investment in its youth that can expect positive returns. We've learned that 'pain now is a payment in future'.
In 2009, at the beginning of our term, President Jacob Zuma said:
For as long as there are children who do not have the means or the opportunity to receive a decent education, we shall not rest, and we dare not falter, in our drive to eradicate poverty.
In pursuance of this commitment, and as part of our quest to fight the root causes of poverty - intergenerational poverty in particular - we identified the provision of early childhood development as key to our success in achieving the goals of the National Development Plan Vision 2030. In 2010, we committed ourselves to expand ECD services. Many of the changes we promised have since been implemented. To date, over 900 000 children have benefited from this programme and we are on course to deliver on our mandate to provide universal ECD services by 2014.
I am pleased to report that there has been a 12% growth in university enrolment, from 837 000 in 2009 to 938 000 in 2011, which is in line with the aim to increase total enrolment to 1,62 million by 2030, as envisaged by the National Development Plan. Overall, the number of university graduates for this period has also increased, by 11%. In the current financial year alone, the Department of Social Development has awarded bursaries to 2 037 students.
However, the democratic South Africa is mindful of the fact that the white youth feel marginalised in the democratic South Africa. We are therefore calling for their inclusion and patriotism in the affairs of youth and activism. White South Africans should not want to be treated differently in the democratic South Africa. The reality is that the ANC fought for the nonracial democratic society in South Africa. Having been saved from the shackles of apartheid, as young people we cannot allow ourselves to be racialised as a means to give us some sense of being part of a group. We belong to the youth of South Africa, in South Africa. Therefore, we are Africans in general. [Applause.]
I am calling out to the white youth to say that there is a space for you in which to be patriotic and able to be part of the society that we are trying to build for a better life for all. There is a peace here that has been achieved. [Applause.] You can't want to be treated as a minority and as young people of a certain segregated group. We are Africans in South Africa! That must be noted!
We have embarked on an extensive programme to attack poverty on all fronts. The institutions of economic co-operation acknowledge the notable progress we have made. Today, unlike under the apartheid regime, all our children, black and white, from the young girl in Muyexe in Limpopo to the teenage girl in Msinga in KwaZulu-Natal, have access to educational opportunities and a social safety net. The social assistance programme now reaches over 16 million beneficiaries.
From the early wars of resistance, the youth fearlessly swelled the ranks of the armies of our people under the leadership of Bhambatha, Moshoeshoe, Hintsa and the many other leaders of our people. It was through the courage of the youth that the leaders of our people knew that they were engaged in a cause that was bound to succeed. It was thanks to those soldiers who fearlessly engaged and triumphed over the enemy in the Battle of Isandlwana and on many other fronts that the wheels of revolution began to gather pace.
The military skills development initiative is yet another initiative of the ANC government aimed at providing the young person with the necessary skills for labour-market readiness. Specifically, this programme prepares new recruits for the SA Navy. They are equipped with skills ranging from seamanship, environmental awareness, musketry, computer skills, basic financial management skills and hygiene to discipline and work ethics.
Young but brave, the youth may not be forgotten for their swift response to the call to mobilise and organise our people. It is in this spirit of selflessness ... [Inaudible.] [Interjections.]
As I conclude, I would like to draw attention to the DA youth and say that we cannot ever have young people who rape other young people in society. [Interjections.] That can never be tolerated! [Time expired.] [Applause.]