Chairperson, South Africa's legacy of colonialism and apartheid has left us with a huge foreign debt and inequalities in our society.
Today I stand here remembering the youth of those eras and the conditions under which they survived. I think of township life and how their playgrounds were battlefields. I think of their schooling and of our youth's impact on and united fight against the apartheid regime. I think of their sacrificed childhood in a man's war. Today we salute the youth of the Sharpeville massacre and vow to never let their sacrifice be forgotten.
Our children were mobilised against the apartheid regime from an early age and it was important that they were taught that all people are equal and that we need to aggressively protest against the apartheid regime to free our parents, our siblings and ourselves. Many survived the apartheid terror to tell of its barbarism, but are still haunted by the past.
It is indeed crucial that our children are allowed to enjoy their freedom and childhood, but it is very important that they are taught about this terrible past and are inspired as humanitarians to embrace all of humanity. As the hon Nelson Mandela said of our past: ``We shall forgive, but never forget.''
It is in our young years that we develop and enhance our values to be responsible, respectable and dignified adults. The South African Youth Charter is important to socialise our children into the democratic values of our nation. We feel that the charter and the daily affirmation of the school pledge will have a great influence in socialising our children into the spirit of our Constitution.
Government departments have embarked on many projects to drive youth development into nation-building. We need to embrace the youth into multiracial living, acceptance and respect. If we can achieve living together, then we can work together and build a better South Africa together.
We believe the Youth Parliament to be an effective means of involving young leaders in Parliament. We need to realise that the best point at which to service our shortfalls such as school shortages is at school level. This is the point at which children dream of their futures. If we walk their dreams to reality, we would achieve far more than filling a post, we would filling a life.
Our nation's recovery is indeed dependent on our empowering our youth with the necessary tools to overcome the repercussions of our past and take South Africa to new heights. Mahatma Gandhi once said: ``A country that does not invest in the youth does not invest in the future.''
Indeed, visible advancements in the rural areas, the introduction of no-fee schools, nutrition programmes, more study bursaries, the building of sports infrastructure, not only allow our youth to have equal opportunities but also to advance themselves in the labour market and in the sporting economy. Thank you. [Time expired.] [Applause.]