Lisa Isaacs
THE Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries teamed up with Santos Football Club yesterday to kick off Youth Month, with an emphasis on youth nourishment and food security.
Youth Month pays tribute to the school pupils who lost their lives during the 1976 Soweto Uprising, which began on June 16. This year marks the 39th anniversary of the Soweto uprisings.
Minister Senzeni Zokwana said he aimed to encourage the youth to take part in the agriculture sector, as he visited the club – nicknamed the “People’s Team” – in Lansdowne, yesterday.
“This Youth Month, we decided to go full steam with a campaign that will speak directly to youth. We have seen how football can bring people together, and hence our joining hands with the People's Team as partners.
“We hope this journey will serve as an honour to the young people whose gallantry set us on a course to where we are today as we celebrate 21 years of a democratic dispensation,” he said.
He also called for the partnership to last beyond the end of June, which is Youth Month.
After kicking off Youth Month and being gifted with a Santos jersey Zokwana, along with the club’s chairman Goolam Allie, planted a food garden on the academy grounds and joined some of the Santos players in a warm-up session.
“We always emphasise the importance of youth, healthy youth, a society free of crime, hence we have always focused on a big youth number in our club. From a Santos perspective, we try to give (the team) brain food, body food,” Allie said. He added that it was essential to ensure a strong and agile team.
Santos player Fagrie Lakay, who made his debut for the Bafana Bafana senior national team last year as a 17 year old, said: “In the places like Manenberg… where I grew up… the youngsters use drugs and go into gangsterism, so I think this is important because this keeps them away from things like that.
“If you become a professional footballer, the way you eat is important. Your body does everything and it works for you. If it’s not in a good condition, you won’t be able to be at your best,” he said.