Question NW831 to the Minister in The Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities

Reply:

(a) The key issues that are emanating from the National Youth Machinery meetings relate to progress on youth development interventions in the form of policies and programmes. In the meeting which was recently held on 02 March 2021, the following were discussed:

(i) Update on the launch of the National Youth Policy 2020-2030 (NYP2030) to create awareness on its approval and call for its implementation;

(ii) progress on the draft Monitoring and Evaluation Framework to track the implementation of the NYP2030. The aim was to solicit inputs from participants;

(iii) presentation on the Amendment of the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Bill to solicit inputs from participants. The NYDA Act is amended to optimise and intensify delivery of services to the youth by making the NYDA’s broad mandate to be more focused, improve its governance and increase its reach through establishing NYDA’s offices and district and local levels in line with the District Development Model;

(iii) update on the draft Integrated Youth Development Strategy (IYDS) by the NYDA. The aim was to solicit further inputs from participants on the strategy which seeks to give effect to implementation of the NYP2030 through targeted programmes by government, business and civil society role players.

(iv) presentation of Techno girl Trust Program. The purpose of Techno Girl programme is to close the existing barriers of inadequate exposure of girls in the space of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. The programme seek to reduce youth unemployment; provide second-chance; expose young people to 4IR; create needs innovative solutions; and provide youth with thorough training for businesses and employment opportunities. The purpose of the presentation was to solicit partnership in implementation of the programme.

(v) progress on the 4IR Youth Skills and Employment Initiative, which was presented to participants to appraise them that it will soon be presented to Cabinet. The initiative seeks to equip the youth with digital skills, so that South Africa and Africa, can reap the benefits from the 4th Industrial Revolution. The presentation was intended to encourage partnerships.

(b) The National Youth Machinery meeting was attended by youth focal persons in national line function departments; Offices of the Premiers; civil society organisations; South African Youth Council; and the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA). These attendees are the same participants who are targeted to attend all the National Youth Machinery meetings. The participants from business sector are also invited and attend the meetings on ad-hoc basis. The following are a list of organisations usually invited to send the representative/s to the meeting:

(i) Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (Chair and Secretariat);

(ii) Department of Social Development;

(iii) Department of Sports, Arts and Culture;

(iv) Department of Public Services Administration;

(v) Department of Home Affairs;

(vi) Department of Basic Education;

(vii) Department of Higher Education;

(viii) Department of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation;

(ix) Department of Economic;

(x) Department of Health;

(xi) Department of Minerals and Energy;

(xii) Department of International Relations and Cooperative Governance;

(xiii) Department of Small Business Development;

(xiv) Department of Employment and Labour;

(xv) Department of Justice and Correctional Services;

(xvi) Department of National Treasury;

(xvii) Department of Tourism;

(xviii) Department of Human Settlements;

(xix) South African Police Services;

(xx) Department of Communications and Digital Technologies;

(xxi) Department of Defence;

(xxii) Department of Employment and Labour;

(xxiii) Department of International Relations and Cooperation;

(xxiv) Department of Transport;

(xxv) Department of Public Works and Infrastructure;

(xxvi) Department of Small Business Development;

(xxvii) Department of Trade and Industry

(xxviii) Department of Planning, Monitoring & Evaluation;

(xxix) Department of Telecommunication and Postal Services;

(xxx) Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs;

(xxxi) The Presidency;

(xxxii) Offices of the Premiers in all nine provinces;

(xxxiii) National Development Agency

(xxxiv) South African Youth Council

(xxxv) National non-Government Organisations

(xxxvi) South African Local Government Association (SALGA)

(xxxvii)Black Business Council

(xxxviii) Business Unity South Africa

(xxxix ) Development partners (e.g. UNFPA, UNICEF, GIZ)

_________________________

Approved by Minister

Ms M Nkoana-Mashabane, MP

Date _____________________