Pretoria - South Africa will recognise its young talent at the President's Award for Youth Empowerment ceremony in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The awards will be bestowed by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan to 60 of the country's extraordinary young leaders, who have worked tirelessly in community building projects. Gordhan is standing in for President Jacob Zuma, who is attending the ruling party's National General Council in Durban.
The awards seek to promote respect for human rights, peace and solidarity. Young people between the ages of 14 and 25, from diverse backgrounds, are encouraged to work together in various projects.
Previous award recipients include Ross McCreath from Grahamstown, who set up the Tiger Titans cricket team in Nolukhanyo township, outside Bathurst, two years ago as part of his community service.
Others include Georgina Venning from the Western Cape, who last year hiked up Kilimanjaro to raise R35 000 for the Red Cross Memorial Children's Hospital in Cape Town.
"I am very honoured to be part of this important project. We would like the activities of the participants to inspire other youth organisations, so that this country becomes a beehive of activity, each person making a unique contribution to improve our communities," said Venning.
Zuma encouraged the youth to develop practical skills such as cooking, sports coaching, dancing or learning a musical instrument, which can earn them an income in future.
"With this programme, it is possible to reach goals if we work together, if we recognise and utilise the strengths in one another and if we remain focused on our ultimate goal of contributing to the betterment of this country,'' said Zuma.
The awards are affiliated with the Duke of Edinburgh's International Association, which operates in more than 120 countries around the world -- 21 of which are in Africa. It has been operating in South Africa since 1983.
Former President Nelson Mandela is the founding Patron-in-Chief of the organisation, but Zuma took over from Mandela as of last month.
