• Speaker
• Leader of the Opposition
• Cabinet colleagues
• Members
• Chairperson of the Standing Committee
• South African Youth Commission
• National Youth Council
• Youth from political parties
• Youth from NGO sector and religious communities

Today I table the Western Cape Youth Commission Bill to the Provincial Parliament. It is unfortunate that it has taken 10 years to reach this point, but this Bill will help strengthen us as we face the challenges of the next decade. It may be late, but it could not have come at a more significant time in this tenth year of our freedom.

This Government is deeply aware of the challenges that our youth face each day. The alienation and despair of many of our young citizens find their roots in statistics such as these:

Population:

• 65% of the Western Cape population of 4 504 609 is under the age of 35 - we therefore have 2 928 000 youth

Learning:

• Only 52% of our youth who start Grade 1, finish Grade 12
• Only 26.6% of those who passed matric in 2003 got university exemptions, the overwhelming majority of whom were white and Indian

HIV - AIDS:

• HIV prevalence amongst pregnant women under the age of 20 attending public health clinics in 1996 was 2.3%, in 2002 the prevalence increased to 7.3%
• HIV prevalence in the same category in the 20-24 age group was 5% in 1996 - in 2002 it increased to 15%

Pregnancy:

• 20% of pregnant women who attend public health clinics are teenagers

Substance abuse:

• The National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey of 2002 found that 9.1% of learners in the Western Cape had used alcohol on school premises , 4.1% had used cannabis and 19.6% had been offered an illegal drug

Sexual activity:

• The National Youth Risk Behaviour Survey of 2002 found that 37.8% of learners in the Western Cape have been sexually active

Employment:

• Only 3 out of a 100 Africans who enter the labour force find a job compared to 92 out of a 100 of Whites
• 41.52% of economically active Africans are unemployed compared to 6.89% of Whites
• 22.37% of Coloureds are unemployed

Skills deficit:

• 38 750 Western Cape learners wrote Matric last year, of these only 21 950 wrote Maths, of whom 4 301 passed on Higher Grade; only 12 110 wrote Science of whom 4 285 passed on Higher Grade.
• According to the HSRC, apprenticeships declined from 30 000 in 1986 to 16 500 in 1998.
• By November 2002 only 65% of eligible firms were paying the skills levy. At most, only 10% of these levy-paying firms were claiming grants to train staff [HSCR].

The realities of day-to-day life that result from this picture are alarming. The vicious cycle of cause and effect that still disempowers and marginalizes poor, African and Coloured youth must be broken if we are to build a sustainable and inclusive democracy for all of us - with confident and accomplished people.

If we are to build the Home for All, then the youth must not only be a part of our Home, but they must be an integral part.

The Home for All must serve as our guarantee for the future.

• A guarantee of new skills.
• A guarantee of more work.
• A guarantee of better human relationships.
• A guarantee of inclusion.
• A guarantee of recognition.
• A guarantee of prosperity.
• A guarantee of health.
• A guarantee of learning.
• A guarantee of respect.

On June the 16th this year, our Province formally and officially celebrated National Youth Day for the first time. In Athlone in front of the National Youth Council, the South African Youth Commission, the ANC Youth League, NNP Jeug Aksie, student bodies such as COSAS and SASCO, Muslim and Christian youth structures - we undertook to begin drafting this Bill.

In record time we have brought it to Parliament. I want to pay tribute to the drafters who have studied and assessed similar acts nationally and developed a worthy product for our Province.

It is important to note that we are able to establish this Commission in this year not only because of the political will that we have demonstrated, but also through savings effected on Government programmes, thus providing the resources we need. This Province has never budgeted for a Youth Commission before.

The Bill is one of the Deposits in the first 100 days. But it has a long term view and must be part of the change this Government is driving toward relevance, inclusion and sustainability.

The Bill will be gazetted tomorrow. Then the process begins of public participation, discussion in the Standing Committee on Governance under Chairperson Patrick McKenzie and ultimately the adoption by Parliament for my enactment. Cabinet has done its work for now. It is now over to you.

I call on the youth of our Province to support the process and to influence the final Act in ways that will serve your needs best. You must own it in every way as your own tool to build our Home for All. Scrutinise the Bill. Discuss it. Debate it. Bring your ideas to the Standing Committee. So that hen this Bill becomes an Act, it is the product of your debates and your discussions as well.

The proposed Youth Commission's role will be to help Government plan and then to monitor and evaluate the programmes of Government in terms of outcomes as they affect the youth. They will also be responsible for promoting youth unity and patriotism and to serve as the connection with National, other Provincial and Local Government youth structures.

This Bill is an important advance on the National Youth Commission Act which has a socio-political focus in the context of nation building. The Western Cape Youth Commission builds on this foundation to provide explicit youth participation in socio-economic development with a focus on economic realties and necessary skills.

The proposed structure for the Commission is three full time members and not more than six part-time members, with a Chief Executive Officer. These young leaders must be fit and committed representatives of our Province. They must also demonstrate the gender, race, religious and cultural diversities of our Province in their composition and work.

The role of the Province's Youth Desk will have to change too in support of this new structure and its important work. This will be a subject for discussion for the new Commission and Government.

The Provincial Youth Commission was not and may not be a flash in the pan. In preparing for last year's Growth and Development Summit it was clear that we needed to understand the need for youth empowerment, hence the Youth Economic Development Summit before the GDS and subsequent discussions with youth structures towards securing a place for our youth to be heard and supported.

In closing- The Western Cape Provincial Youth Commission must send the clearest signal yet to our young citizens.

We are going to support them to:

• Say no to drugs
• Say no to unsafe sex
• Say no to gangs
• Say no to despair

To put it positively, youth development in all its facets is on the agenda for this Government.

You have a vital and fundamental role to play in building this Home for All. In building your Home too. Claim the space this Act will create for you and become the citizens that we need you to be.

I have pleasure in tabling the Western Cape Provincial Youth Commission Bill to this House and to the youth of the Western Cape.