Media Statement: Premier Zille launches Gugulethu/Manenberg Safe-Hub

Today Premier Helen Zille officially launched a state-of-the-art Youth Safe-Hub at Nyanga Junction.

The hub – located at Intshukumo Secondary School – is part of the Western Cape Government’s vision for the broader Youth Lifestyle Campus development that will service the community of Gugulethu/Manenberg.

At least 2 500 young people from Gugulethu and Manenberg will benefit from these brand new facilities and youth programmes.

“After Schools programmes are a Game Changer for our government. Our aim is to have 112 000 learners from no fee schools accessing quality after schools programmes, in safe spaces, by 2019,” Premier Zille said.

The facilities at the newly launched Safe-Hub include:

• A FIFA standard ‘astro turf’, for the football programme. The field is floodlit, to allow for activities in the evenings, including the Football night League – sponsored by the Department of Community Safety – which takes place on Friday and Saturday nights;
• A training academy, where the provincial government’s Mass participation; Opportunity & Access; Development & Growth (MOD) centre will be based. The MOD centre will provide afterschool support, including literacy and numeracy tutoring by fulltime mentors;
• A Youth Café, provided by the Western Cape Department of Social Development. Learners will have full access to computers, the internet, various Western Cape Government portals with useful resources, and other career support;
• A Psychosocial Support Centre – though the Department of Social Development – to provide social assistance where necessary. This includes: substance abuse support, counselling, conflict resolution & mediation and family planning support, where necessary;
• A health and nutrition feeding scheme; and
• Space for small businesses, where start-ups and young entrepreneurs can grow their enterprises.

The Department of Community Safety is providing a Safety Kiosk, to be manned by members of the local neighbourhood watch programme. 

The new hub has been named after one of the Western Cape Government’s major NGO partners, retired German footballer, Oliver Kahn.

The Oliver Kahn Foundation and our NGO partner, Amandla EduFootball, have been key partners in constructing and operating the Safe-Hub.

Youth Lifestyle Campus Vision

Following extensive advice received from the local community, Premier Zille last year unveiled the joint vision behind the greater Youth Lifestyle Campus in Manenberg/Gugulethu, which includes the Nyanga Junction Safe-Hub.

The broader Youth Lifestyle Campus will be structured into six precincts, each with a unique educational offering that is responsive to the needs of the surrounding community.

The precincts will include: an Ecological Precinct; a Technology and Media Precinct; an Innovation, Economic Skills and Development Precinct; a Wellness Precinct; a Social Innovation Precinct, Highroad business Precinct; and a Sport Precinct.

Education facilities, sport facilities and green open spaces will operate as a system. Safe promenades will link these learning hubs together, spanning scores of City blocks.

“We want young people to have safe, after-school spaces for learning and personal development. This is especially important in crime-affected communities where there are many negative influences on the streets. The Youth Lifestyle Campus development is about access to opportunity for thousands of young people in the surrounding communities,” said Premier Zille.

Premier Zille thanked the various partners for their role in seeing the Nyanga Junction  project to completion.

“This is the first of many big developments to come for this community. Young people in Gugulethu and Manenberg are encouraged to make use of these facilities as best as possible,” said Premier Zille.