17 August, 2005

By Robert Tlholoe, Sipho None and Clifford Mogotsi

YOUNG people in Mogale City have given their input into the provincial government's plans for a youth commission.

The commission is being formed through the province's ad hoc committee on youth development legislature.

On a recent visit to Mogale City, the Public Participation and Petitions unit, which falls under the department of sports, recreation, arts and culture, held on a workshop with the city's youngsters.

At this session, young people were told how the Gauteng Provincial Legislature works and how they could take part in decision-making.

Thami Mogomane, the unit's public outreach officer, said Gauteng was the only province that did not have a youth commission. Workshops engaged with civil society organisations that worked with young people and the broader youth sector, he added.

"[A] provincial youth commission will co-ordinate, facilitate, advise and monitor the mainstreaming of youth development in the policies and programmes of the provincial government," Mogomane said.

Youth attending the workshop wanted to know where they could read a copy of the Youth Development Bill, as they had never seen a draft of it. Thabiso Ntsoelengoe, for example, said he had never seen a draft at the public venues it was said to be at, like libraries and the local municipality.

"I am glad that we have a bill of law representing us as the youth, but my concern is how do we access it because we have never seen it at our various libraries and municipality," he said.

However, the first draft of the bill, which was tabled on 18 May 2000, is expected to be gazetted as soon as submissions are made from the various municipalities.

The youth commission, a statutory body, will be responsible for the advocacy, co-ordination and monitoring of the Gauteng government's integrated youth development strategy.

As set out in the Youth Development Bill, Mogomane said the commission would enable a more focused approach to dealing with the needs of young people by all government departments.

The provincial youth commission, which would be known as the Gauteng Commission on Youth Development, would report directly to Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture MEC Barbara Creecy. She reports directly to the premier.

Through its work with other government departments, the commission will be able to set targets and support effective provincial programmes to deal with the challenges facing today's youth.

It will also be able to monitor how effective these programmes are.

Mogale's youth forum workshop

Mayor speaks to Mogale's youth

Centre for Youth Development