WHO IS BUTI MANAMELA?

• Buti Manamela is a son, husband, father, friend and comrade.
• A young at heart, passionate and patriotic South African.
• A youth activist who believes in the potential of all young people.

WHAT DREW YOU TO A CAREER IN POLITICS AND HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE EXPERIENCE AS A FAIRLY YOUNG POLITICIAN?

I was not drawn to a life of politics. Rather the life of politics found me doing my activist work and it became difficult for the two to not intertwine. I still consider myself an activist. The difference is now I’m an activist who holds a position that I can use to make the difference I have been calling for previously. Being young means that can draw from my youthful energy to achieve more to better the lives of South Africans.

YOUR DREAMS AND AMBITIONS OUTSIDE OF POLITICS?

There was a time I wanted to be a journalist, but that didn’t happen although I have written for publications. Maybe I can do that more sometime in the future. It might be too late for me to be a soccer star but that is one of the things I enjoy doing in my spare time.

WHAT DOES YOUR CURRENT POSITION AS DEPUTY MINISTER IN THE PRESIDENCY INVOLVE?

I am the Deputy Minister in the Presidency for Planning Monitoring and Evaluation, Youth Development and Administration. We are the department that was responsible for the National Development Plan as well as ensuring that there is implementation of the plan by all of government. A big portion of my responsibility involves youth development. Young people are the future of South Africa and given the myriad challenges that they face we need to ensure that all of the policies and programmes that government comes up with involve the development of the youth. The President has also entrusted in me two Presidential Working Groups which I chair. The Youth Working Group and the Creative Industries Working Group. To ensure that work is coordinated and achieves results more rapidly.

YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE PAST CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE STRUGGLE. HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE YOUTH TO BETTER THE COUNTRY TODAY?

Earlier this year I challenged young people to take up what I call the #MyJune76challenge. Firstly what would you say to the class of 76 and young people took up the challenge. But taking it further, I asked what is it that they are doing to take the baton from the class of 76. We want young people to realise and always remember that the power lies within them. There is no messiah that is going to come with a magic wand that will give them everything they aspire to. Young people are leaders today and they can lead their development.

Our mission today is to liberate ourselves from crime, drugs, irresponsible sexual behaviour and all other social ills in order to begin to live the promise that was started in 1994.

THE NATIONAL YOUTH POLICY (NYP 2020) IS A STRATEGIC DOCUMENT CONCEIVED BY YOUR DEPARTMENT WITH THE AIM OF CONTEXTUALIZING DEVELOPMENTAL PRINCIPLES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY. CAN YOU SHARE SOME OF THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS DOCUMENT?

The NYP2020 is partitioned in five different pillars which are the priority areas that we need to focus on if we are to address the challenges of youth in South Africa today. These are: • Education, skills and second chances • Economic participation and transformation • Healthcare and combating substance abuse • Nation-building and social cohesion • Effective and responsive youth development institutions. The Statistician-General Mr Pali Lehohla has given us three reports focusing on youth which have helped us craft the youth policy. So there five pillars are backed by data in terms of the challenges that young people face. We strongly believe that if we can make a dent in those areas, young people will be faced with a brighter future.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND PRIMARY REASONS FOR OUR WORSENING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THAT CURRENTLY SITS AT 54%?

We should remember that youth unemployment is a global phenomenon so we should not isolate South Africa from the rest of the world when speaking of youth unemployment.

Government is working on a number of projects to skill young people and to grow the economy i.e. Operation Phakisa, presidential infrastructure coordinating committee, the 9 point plan etc. The key issue is the involvement of other sectors of society, particularly the private sector. Business needs to take up these programmes and implement them in order to achieve success in increasing youth employment.

Giving young people the necessary skills that will prepare them for the job market through TVET colleges is another strategy we as government are employing through the department of higher education.

Young people also need to take up entrepreneurial opportunities.

We are beginning to encourage more young people to be creators of jobs and not seekers of jobs.

IT IS BELIEVED THAT THERE IS MASSIVE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN ESTABLISHING A YOUNG AND VIBRANT LABOUR FORCE AND THAT YOUNG PEOPLE NEED SKILLS BEYOND THOSE FOUND IN THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOLING SYSTEM. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

Young people should pursue learning in institutions such as Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges where skills are being taught and developed.

It is much easier for anyone to get employed or open a business because they possess a skill that is valuable in the economy. We cannot emphasise enough the important role that technical and vocational skills play in developing and increasing the skills base to grow the economy.

DO YOU THINK THERE IS SPACE FOR TECHNOLOGY TO PLAY A ROLE IN MATCHING THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE?

Absolutely. Technology is critical in achieving the knowledge economy. The Gauteng Provincial Government launched “the big switch on” which aims to enable learning to take place using technology. This is an initiative that enables learners to access learning material, workbooks and other subject matter through the use of ICT. We need to take this nationwide. We see this as a step in getting our young people to be world class.

Technology should not be something that young people interact with for the first time when they get to tertiary education, then it is too late. Technology can be used to further access to education and we need to be more innovative in how we will use technology to reach the most remote parts of our country.

WE ARE ALL FAMILIAR WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF SMALL BUSINESS BUT FOR MANY YOUNG PEOPLE STARTING A BUSINESS CAN BE CUMBERSOME AND EXPENSIVE CAUSING A FAIR AMOUNT OF RESISTANCE. HOW DO WE CREATE A FAVOURABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP WITHOUT THE FINANCIAL OBSTACLES?

We are all familiar with the importance of small business but for many young people, starting a business can be very difficult and expensive causing a fair amount of resistance. How do we create a favourable environment for Youth Entrepreneurship without the financial obstacles?

We recognize that starting a business can be quite daunting for somebody who is doing it for the very first time. That is why though the NYDA grant beneficiary programme young people who quality can receive a grant from R1 000 – R100 000.

More than 1000 young people have benefitted from this programme thus far.

The NYDA has also partnered with SEFA and IDC for a fund to the tune of

R27 billion to assist young people to start their businesses.

The NYDA also offers non-financial support to young people on how to run a small to medium enterprise. The President also launched the Mara Mentor app last year for young people to be mentored in entrepreneurship which has now 300 000 young people being mentored weekly by individuals who can share their success stories and walk with them the path to successful entrepreneurship.

As government we are making it easier and easier for young people to take that first step in enterprising. This is how we are going to reduce youth unemployment, if more young people challenge themselves entrepreneurially.

WHAT SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IS AN ORGANISATION SUCH AS THE NYDA MAKING ON SOUTH AFRICAN YOUTH?

First of all we need to remember that the NYDA cannot be a “mini-youth-government” but that government as a whole is responsible for youth development.

The NYDA should get right two things in order for it to make a significant difference in the development of youth.

The two things are Youth Enterprise as well as the National Youth Service Programme. We are busy finalizing the framework for the National Youth Service Programme (NYSP) and we will be launching it soon. This will see two million young South Africans enrolled, volunteering in their communities and getting skilled.

Lastly the budget of the NYDA should match its mandate and in that way we will be able to see the NYDA achieving what it is purposed to do. To be the agency for youth development programmes.

ARTICLE: KASIBIZ MAHALA STAFF WRITER