Youth get a taste of being in seat of power
350 youngsters attend Youth Summit hosted by Parliament
PARLIAMENT is hosting its first Youth Summit in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and will honour the centenary anniversaries of South African liberation icons, Nelson Mandela and Albertina Sisulu. About 350 youngsters from across the country are taking part in the summit.
“The youth must play a part in making South Africa a better place. The challenge for any generation is to determine what its struggles are and try to do something about them,” United Democratic Movement MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa said.
He added that people were not leaders just because they stand behind a microphone.
The initiative is expected to run for three days. Joining the youth in their discussions and activities will be Chapter 9 institutions supporting constitutional democracy, such as the SA Human Rights Commission, public protector, Electoral Commission and auditor-general, as well as cabinet members and representatives of government development agencies.
Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund chief executive Sibongile Mkhabela said: “These children will sooner or later be sitting in this Parliament. There is a huge responsibility for youngsters to complete what was started by Mr Mandela in his 100 years of life.”
He added that the youngsters were chosen because they were trusted to give a voice to those who cannot be heard.
The event is currently running under the theme, A Mandela in every generation.
The youth had the opportunity to engage with ministers who were present. A wide range of issues emerged from the sitting. Among the issues was VAT on sanitary towels. MPs have been at loggerheads over a VAT exemption on sanitary towels for more than a year following growing concerns that many young girls were missing school time during their menstrual cycle.
Tourism minister Derek Hanekom has thrown his weight behind calls for sanitary pads to be VAT-exempt.
“There is a panel at the moment which is making recommendations on which items should be VAT-exempt and there is a very strong submission that sanitary towels should be VAT exempted. I support that,” he said, while answering questions from learners.
Hanekom has been involved in Parliament for at least 24 years and a member of the ANC for 38 years. He was one of five ministers who lost their positions over their criticism of former president Jacob Zuma’s relationship with the Guptas.
Other issues included education. Some youngsters said in the Eastern Cape they were still waiting for schools to be built despite funding being provided.
“I believe there is a level of awareness and it shows there is a level of consciousness and concerns among the youth. We won’t be able to respond to all of the issues immediately but we will in due course,” Hanekom said.
EVENT BEING HELD TO HONOUR CENTENARY ANNIVERSARIES OF MANDELA AND ALBERTINA SISULU