Port Elizabeth - The National Youth Development says it's all systems go for the National Youth Day celebrations taking place in the Eastern Cape today.
Scores of young people have already started making their way to the Wolfson Stadium in Kwazakhele township, Port Elizabeth where Minister in the Presidency Collins Chabane is scheduled to address the crowd. Chabane will be joined by his Deputy Obed Bapela, Eastern Cape Premier Noxolo Kiviet and other senior government officials.
Chabane is expected to outline government's advances in addressing youth challenges, chief among them being unemployment. The Treasury has proposed a multibillion youth wage subsidy as one of the short term responses to the challenge of youth unemployment.
Today marks the 36th anniversary of the June 16 Soweto uprising when hundreds of students protesting against being taught in Afrikaans clashed with the police. Among those who were killed was 13-year-old Hector Pieterson from Soweto.
Several other provinces across the country are also set to mark the day with festivities with Gauteng's main event scheduled to start at the Hector Pieterson Memorial where Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and the Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau will lay wreaths.
The NYDA says activities will not end tomorrow but that as part of the youth month, a cultural history educational tour will be organised to cater for in-school youth in all provinces to teach them about the events that contributed to the June 16 related uprisings, and also visit the various places that played a role.
This will be done in partnership with the national Department of Arts and Culture.
"This is part of the legacy education that contributes to social cohesion and ensuring that youth understand and appreciate their history," it said.
