STATEMENT BY CAPE TOWN MAYOR, GEORDIN HILL-LEWIS:
Happy Youth Day to all young Capetonians!
It was a pleasure to join Thuli Madonsela’s “Social Justice Walk” this morning, because beating poverty is the most important moral issue of our time, and it is what motivates all we do in Cape Town.
In Cape Town, we are working to give young people a sense that there is hope for them, and that they can feel optimistic again about the future.
Everything we do is with one goal in mind: growing our economy faster so that more people – and more young people – are lifted out of poverty and into work.
Youth Day is often filled with empty speeches.
The truth is that turning around our youth unemployment crisis – 7 out of 10 young people can’t find work – will take dedication to doing many small things right, over many months and years, to grow the economy. This is the only sustainable way to get young people out of poverty.
This clear higher purpose is what motivates us in Cape Town.
That is why we are putting so much into making communities safer, especially in communities where young people- and young women in particular – are so vulnerable to violent crime.
That’s why we are pursuing energy independence to end load-shedding – because this will lift the single biggest handbrake on our economy.
That’s why we’re working towards managing the rail service that is affordable and reliable.
While Cape Town and the Western Cape have the lowest unemployment rates in the country, far too many people do not have access to opportunities and a sense that their future is filled with possibility.
We are inspired and motivated by the scale of the challenge to change this for every young person.
A number of activities and programmes are offered by the city for the youth on this Youth Day.
The City of Cape Town’s Community Services and Health Directorate will mark Youth Day with various empowerment and information activities.
For the full range of activities offered, please visit: https://bit.ly/3NGHNEx.
