Question NW832 to the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Reply:

The National Youth Machinery meeting has been established at the national sphere of government, to coordinate youth development by all relevant stakeholders within the youth sector. It is a professional space to share information and showcase good practices. The meeting provides a platform to different stakeholders, to share information about their strategies, plans, programmes, and projects. The participants are youth workers who are mainly youth focal points from youth led and youth serving organisations.

The National Youth Machinery meeting consist of representatives from:

a) the National Youth Development unit in the DWYPD; to serve as the Convenor, Chairperson and Secretariat of the meeting;

b) the line function department responsible for youth development at the national sphere;

c) the youth units in the Offices the Premiers (representing each province);

d) the NYDA;

e) Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs;

f) the South African Local Government Association (SALGA);

g) the South African Youth Council (SAYC);

h) non-government youth led organisations; and

i) Representatives of the private sector.

There are similar structures at provincial and local levels, where provincial and local youth focal points representing Offices of the Premiers, provincial sector departments as well as district and local municipalities, also participate. The meeting participants are expected to engage directly with the clients they are servicing. This would mean that at provincial and local level, the youth workers (youth focal points), cascade information to majority of young people they are servicing including those residing in rural areas.

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Approved by Minister

Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane, MP

Date _____________________