DEPUTY President David Mabuza says the Fourth Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Summit under way at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand will help young people.
Mabuza, in his capacity as chairperson of the HRDC, addressed the summit under the theme “Skills required for the 21st century”.
This was Mabuza’s first public appearance since his return from Russia, where he received medical treatment.
Mabuza said at an economic level, recent results from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey revealed that, in the first quarter of this year, structural unemployment stood at 32.6%, and this figure was worse among young people, at 46.3%, and university graduates, at 9.3%.
He said these statistics reflected stifled and deferred dreams, hopes, opportunities and capacities.
“They are also an outcry of our country’s human wealth that is not fully explored. Notably, Statistics South Africa further tells us that, from these statistics, young people and African black women, in particular, are the most vulnerable,” said Mabuza.
He said although education was a fundamental part of the solution to this problem, there were other contributory issues, such as access to healthcare, basic services and public transport, that were equally important in improving these statistics.
“The growing numbers of young people not in employment, education or training, as well as the events of the recent riots, are a daily reminder of the existential task demanded from all of us,” said Mabuza.
“The recent riots in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces are also a reminder that our efforts in a Covid-19 pandemic environment of ‘building back better’ should be anchored on ensuring the security of persons, property, essential services and business, establishing with all organs of the state a co-ordinated effort in rebuilding the economy, focusing on the re-ignition of township and rural economies for employment and entrepreneurship creation, and addressing the generalised anxiety induced by the unrest by rolling out social cohesion and moral regeneration programmes,” said Mabuza.
The deputy president said the fruits of democracy would be incomplete unless the youth and women have access to opportunities in order to lead the lives they desire.
“The past 27 years has given us ample lessons to draw on and decide what works and what does not so that we improve our present circumstances and shape a better future for our country and the world. This collective task falls on our generation’s shoulders to address, and we dare not postpone it,” Mabuza said.
Mabuza wished the summit success, and said they looked forward to receiving the implementation plan from the deliberations.
POLITICAL BUREAU