Dear Reader
Letter from the Editor – Siyabonga Memela

On June 16th, this year, all of us will unite with the youth of South Africa in celebrating a decade of our Democratic Constitution. June is also Youth Development Month, and will be emphasised as such through a series of activities that will take place throughout June, and beyond.

16th June 1976, an unforgettable milestone in our country’s struggle for national liberation, was the day when the youth of our country took to the streets to protest against the unjust policies of the time, and Bantu Education in particular. In one of the darkest days in the history of our proud nation, the youth were met with brutal force, and Hector Zolile Peterson became the first victim of the brutality of that day. This month is exactly 30 years since that fateful day.

In honour of the youth who paid the ultimate price for the freedom that all of us now enjoy, June 16th was declared National Youth Day.

Of course, time heals and as the years go by, National Youth Day will lose some of its political meaning, but hopefully acquire the social significance that it rightfully deserves. I firmly believe that the youth should be in the forefront of all aspects of South African political, economic and social life. It remains the responsibility of us all to guide and mentor the youth so as to ensure that our youth have the confidence and skill to lead us into the future.

To this end, the South African government has developed various programmes aimed at addressing the youth issues. These range from the establishment of the National Youth Commission and the Umsobomvu Youth Fund. Umsobomvu serves as a catalyst for creating and facilitating opportunities for youth employment and youth entrepreneurship. Working collaboratively with service providers, partners and young people, Umsobomvu facilitates investments that deliver effective programmes.

The biggest remaining challenge in the youth sector is the development of effective youth leaders in the rural areas. Rural youth face more challenges than their counterparts in the urban areas, and today, growing up in the rural areas has become a serious setback on its own, especially with regard to urban bias when it comes to development in general. Without the help of the captains of the agricultural industry, government can never rectify this imbalance. To prevent the youth in rural areas from falling behind even further, we need a serious Public and Private partnership to address youth development challenges in rural areas. If not, then we will continue to witness a massive influx of rural youth into urban areas, once again overburdening the urban economies.

In this month of June, be mindful of a time when, perhaps like me, you were young, graduated, and unemployed. Let us honour our youth by giving them the same respect and support that we desired when we were young. It’s an investment in our own future.

Enjoy the read!
Enjoy the flight!
Siyabonga Memela