Klerksdorp - The North West Provincial Government is committed to working together with youth organisations to overcome challenges affecting the sector.
Speaking during the official launch of youth month on Monday, North West Premier Maureen Modiselle said her government was more than ready to partner with the youth to uplift their lives from poverty, ignorance and lack of skills.
She said efforts were underway to complete the work of the old youth commissions and to begin the new National Youth Development Agency which will focus on dealing seriously with the challenges facing by the youth.
"In our province, we will be initiating a process to kick start a legislative programme to wrap up the work of our provincial youth commission as we transit towards one National Development Agency," the premier said.
This year's youth month is celebrated under the theme, "Work with the youth, build the future now".
The country will commemorate the 33rd anniversary of the 16 June 1976 Soweto uprising.
The commemoration coincides with the ushering of the 4th democratically elected government of South Africa and the introduction of the new national youth development agency.
Premier Modiselle highlighted that the month offered South Africans an opportunity to remember, commemorate and pay tribute to young people who fought for a free and democratic country.
She said the youth of today were faced with far more serious challenges than their counterparts 33 years ago, including HIV and AIDS, unemployment, poverty, lack of access to health care, child abuse of all forms and human trafficking.
She added that failure by the youth to recognise their centrality as agents of a new nation will destroy the 1976 liberation project.
This year's youth month programme will be characterised by a series of activities to deal specifically with challenges facing the youth.
On 8 June, the province will host the two day National Youth Service, (NYS) volunteer campaign, which aims to encourage young people to clean community graveyard and schools around various communities.
On 16 June, the province will host a Youth Cup soccer tournament aimed at encouraging young people to participate in sports.
On 23 June, the commission will partner with the Department of Correctional Services on the young offenders programme, which aims to promote rehabilitation of young offenders and their reintegration into the society. The programme will be held at Losperfontein correctional centre in Brits.
At the end of the month, the Youth Commission will also host the Youth Moral Regenerations Renewal Camp which will emphasis culture as a driver of moral renewal among the youth.
