Young activists at the University of Fort Hare in the Eastern Cape believe the National Development Plan does not cater to their needs.
They say the NDP is a failed document that lacks implementation. These sentiments were aired at the 10th-anniversary commemoration of the NDP which was held at the university’s Alice Campus.
The NDP is a document aimed at fighting the persistent challenges society faces such as unemployment, inequality, and poverty. It seeks to overcome these by the year 2030.
The young people claim the current crop of leaders has run out of ideas for bettering their lives.
National Development Plan slated as it marks 10th anniversary:
One activist, Mosuli Cwele says the high unemployment rate and a lack of skills development are marked as problems requiring immediate attention.
“We just need leaders that will have a political will. In terms of all the government policies and resolutions that are taken, as you look now when it comes to skills they are not there. They need to invest more in skills to address the unemployment rate and the government must create more economic issues even in the business sector you go young people are not given a space.”
SRC President, Snowi Hawker, says a youthful generation can bring a new set of ideas to deal with the challenges the youth face.
“These old people are tired now. We can’t blame them. They need to step aside now. The youth has to take over. It’s time for the youth to be involved in more things. They can be there in parliament, but the departments must be occupied by the youth. Let the youth be Director-Generals of these departments because the youth know what is needed in the country.”
Deputy Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke admits that there is an element of failure from their side regarding the implementation of the NDP.
“The stats are frightening. The targets do not belong to the NPC. They don’t belong to the government alone. They belong to all of us and we have failed to meet up with those targets. There have been a few achievements that have been clocked up in the 10 years since the NDP has been developed. For example, government planning, the medium-term strategic plan derives from this.”
The theme for this year’s NDP celebrations is: ‘How do we invoke and implement the NDP for a new socio-economic heritage for South Africa?’
Young people at the University of Fort Hare are hoping to be part of the answer.
