Tanzania, South Africa discuss youth development
MIDRAND - On 27 SEPTEMBER Deputy Minister in the Presidency Obed Bapela held talks with Tanzanian Deputy Minister of Information, Youth, Culture and Sport, Amos Makalla at the National Youth Development Agency offices in Midrand.
Together with National Youth Development Agency deputy chairperson Kenny Morolong and acting CEO Ayanda Makaula, the deputy ministers met to discuss youth development issues in South Africa and how the development agency operates.
Bapela said that South African and Tanzanian youth are faced with similar challenges. “South Africa and Tanzania governments have to invest in (the) youth. We have a mandate to reduce the socio-economic challenges faced by young people, to sharpen their skills and make funding available to them. The National Youth Development Agency invests in young people by offering them grants so that they can have a better chance at life. A study that was conducted showed that of ten businesses that were given grants, eight failed. The need to mentor young people after giving them grants is key.”
He added, “It will be good to go to Tanzania to see how they are working towards sharpening young people’s skills. The problem with South Africa’s young people is that they don’t want to get their hands dirty, they all want office jobs and forget that they can start with jobs in construction while working towards climbing the ladder. Graduates would rather stay at home than do jobs they feel are beneath them. That only serves to increase the percentage of unemployed youth which is just over 25 percent.”
Tanzanian Minister Makalla said, “The National Youth Development Agency is doing great work in advancing the youth of South Africa. In Tanzania we have a compulsory youth service programme
where young people are taught about nation building, entrepreneurial skills and basic life skills. At the end of 2013 we also plan on starting a youth bank and hope our government will factor that into the budget. Young people in Tanzania and South Africa are faced with challenges such as HIV/Aids, drug abuse, unemployment and accessing loans. This visit is to learn how to overcome youth challenges. We have swapped experiences and we will work towards a memorandum of understanding as to where and how Tanzania and South Africa can work together in addressing youth issues.”
