Cape Town – South African President Jacob Zuma visited Beaufort West on Tuesday to hand over a “hub” for the town’s youth with the aim of developing skills and combatting social ills such as crime and unemployment.
“The handing over of the Beaufort West Youth Hub to the Central Karoo Community today is intended to provide a facility to the youth where they can empower themselves,” said Zuma.
The concept for the hub was “officially launched” on July 18 2012, with construction - which saw the employment of youth from the area - commencing in October 2013 and concluding in April 2015. It serves as government’s pilot project, with similar hubs planned for provinces across the country.
In the hub was a “mix of facilities that provides for [the] holistic development of young people and for the community [at] large”.
This included a centre which is operated by South Cape College and intended for training youth in areas such as business administration and end-user computing and aimed at making computing more accessible. In addition, the information and communications technology centre would provide the community with free access to the internet.
An amphitheatre and a refurbished community hall were also available for use by residents.
Zuma said in addition to skills development, another aim of the hub was to provide youth with an alternative to crime. This could be achieved through sporting activities, provided for by the hub.
“The world-class sport and recreation facilities available in this youth hub will provide young people from poor communities with opportunities to participate on a better footing and help transform sport in our country,” he said.
With facilities such as a 25-metre swimming pool, Zuma said the hub could now play host to local swimming clubs, galas, and produce “the next generation of Chad Le Clos and Penny Heyns”.
A gym inside the hub was fitted with equipment donated by the Virgin Active Group, which Zuma said illustrated “what can be done when government and the private sector form partnerships to develop poor communities”.
Other notable facilities within the hub includes sporting courts with solar lighting and water tanks.
Zuma congratulated the Beaufort West community for their involvement in the concept and construction of the hub and wished them well with their use thereof.
“Look after it well so that the youth hub can serve generations to come,” he added.
African News Agency